


Mass Effect;  The Brightest Stars Burn In The Darkest Places.

by Lady_Fenikkusu



Series: Marie Jane Shepard [4]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Multi, Not Beta Read, Slow To Update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2019-08-20 18:30:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 27,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16561034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Fenikkusu/pseuds/Lady_Fenikkusu
Summary: The final instalment of my Marie Jane Shepard story.The Reapers have come, just as she said they would and everyone who doubted and twisted her words for so long suddenly understands just how right Shepard had been all this time. Now everyone is struggling to find answers or ways to help and Marie has to take the reigns and control this hopeless mess of a situation.She's tired, she's angry and she's struggling to find any comfort or hope alone, but with the Reapers here and no one ready to fight them she has to put her own needs last and keep the rest of the Universe safe.





	1. Intro

Mass Effect;   
The Brightest Stars Burn In The Darkest Places.

"How bad is it?" Anderson asked.

"Bad. We lost contact with two of our deep space outposts and there is something massive on long range scanners." Hackett told him grimly.

"Is this what Shepard warned up about?" Anderson asked.

"I'd stake my life on it." Hackett nodded.

Anderson sighed, shaking his head. "How long do we have?" 

"Not long." Hackett affirmed. "I sent word and the Fleets are mobilizing."

Anderson looked out of his window, towards the stars as thousands of tiny flickering lights shone overhead. 

"God help us all."

~~~@~~~

Jane took a deep breath as she tried to focus on her biotics, blindfolded to give her complete darkness as she tried to carefully lift the crates and pile them.

It was meant to be an easy task and she had done it before, but the Collector base had left her afraid of the dark and every time someone or something made a sound near her when she was like this, it brought back those terrible memories and she lost her focus, dropping the crates as she ripped the blind fold from her face. "I can't..." She said, "I can't do this."

"You can, Jane." Nihlus assured her softly, "You just need time." He added, "Come on, lets go see what Liara has sent to us today, we can try this again later." 

"Ok Nihlus." Jane said smiling as Lieutenant Jennix stood from his seat and followed them silently. 

They made it home just as the sky began to darken, then with a terrified scream, Jane could only run, clutching Jennix’s hand as the young lieutenant lead her and her family to the safety of their shuttle, covering the docking bay as Nihlus helped the elderly members of the Kirana family into the shuttle and ordered the few soldiers into action as Husks attacked the house.

Jane clutched her head and tried to keep calm, but the memories of the screaming people on the Collector ship an the horrors she had seen there all came flooding back and she felt herself slipping into the dark memories of that place for just a brief moment, shaking and trembling as the shuttle rattled and shook violently with impacts and turbulence. 

A gentle tri-fingered hand touched her back and she looked up with tear-filled eyes to see Nihlus and Jennix were there and gently Nihlus placed a warm blanket around her. “We’re clear of it, Jane.”

“Where’s Marie?” She asked.

“We’re looking.” Jennix assured, “But Auntie Marie won’t go down in this.” He added looking at something out the window as they left Earth behind.

~~~@~~~

She'd been right.

This whole time, she'd been right.

Sparatus snarled into his hands as he tried to think clearly through the mess of reports he was now getting one after another after another, over and over again from every Colony and planet the Turian race called home. Tevos covered her mouth with her hand as the reports came in to her as well, horrified by the ever growing number of losses and Verlan having to turn away from his console as they realized just how wrong they had all been.

“Admiral Anderson!? Alliance Command?! London Base?! Hackett?! Kirara?! Shepard?!” Udina demanded, into his comm channels. “Someone answer me damnit!!”

~ "Shut the fuck up and clear the comms." ~ A familiar voice snarled and slowly, the fear left Udina's face as Admiral Hackett spoke up though the signal was broken with static and white noise. ~ "Shepard got out. *fizzbleepbleep* On the Normandy. I sent her to Mars. *staticcrackcrack* Doctor T'soni. She's. *fuzzbuzzwhine* on her way to you." ~

The signal cut off and for a time the four were silent.

"Now what?" Udina hissed.

"We focus on making sure our people are safe." Tevos said. "Until Shepard gets here, it's all we can do."

And they did, hour after hour reports came in with bigger and bigger losses and only small pockets for people, people who had listened to Shepard all along were reporting any good news, small lines held, small pockets of safety that held and held and held until help finally arrived and families were carried to safety. Human colonies with spare ships and crafts flew into the air space of the Citidel, creating floating shelters for the misplaces and homeless from all the races, food stocks were torn open and brought into the makeshift kitchens and hot meals were bought around those who needed it.

Few people knew where the food was from or who had stockpiled it for so long, but they didn’t question it. Nor did they question where the sudden influx of soldiers and security came from, Udina demanded answers, he always did, but when he took his demand for answers to the head of C-sec, he was given a glare and told that the people helping had ALWAYS been there, and he was just to blindly ignorant to notice them before.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, the Normandy flew into the docks, but instead of joy or happiness, Marie Jane Shepard had all but shoved the fool reporter aside as she and James Vaga carried Ashley William’s unconscious and badly beaten body through the suddenly parting crowds and followed Pallin to the nearest medical wing, Liara coming at a much slower pace as she helped Joker down the gang plank, his left leg badly twisted out of place.

Clearly, Mars wasn’t an easy trip.

~~~@~~~

“Move.” Was the only warning anyone got.

Chakwas ignored the hollow sound as Shepard’s fist dented the wall of the room with one solid impact, expertly sidestepping as the tool try and thrown aside and ducked as an unfortunate datapad was thrown through the reinforced glass of the room.

“Lola?! What are you doing?!” James Vaga asked in shock, sheltering behind the door of the room.

“I am NOT doing this again,” She said ripping the dog tags from around her neck and tossing them aside, those Chakwas followed the path of, smiling her thanks to Liara as the Asari caught them before they could be lost in the ruins of the room and neatly held them in her own hands, safe for the moment as Shepard continued to rage. “Fuck the damn lot of them! I am not going through this hell again! Not this time.”

“But-”

“No!” Marie hissed, cutting James off. “I'm not going through this again, I can't! Twice I told them shit was going to happen and did they listen? No! They ignored me! They left themselves wide open to this attack and now they're still bickering over whose more important!”

“Shepard please, you are the only one who can do this... the data we found on Mars-”

“At the cost of thousands of lives! They don’t care!!” Marie screamed and this time Liara had to put up a Biotic barrier to keep the table from hitting them.

“Commander please!” Liara pleaded as she brought her arms up, Biotics flared around them as she blocked the punches Shepard threw at her. “What is all this? You’ve never let the thoughts of others get to you... not like this!”

“Didn’t you hear Ashley?! All she sees in me is some Cerberus puppet! Its what they all see!!” Shepard screamed and buried her fists into a wall panel again and again. “Three years they fucked me over, three years they make me out to be insane, they ignore everything I say and now, now they can see it for themselves rather than the video feed and the reports from aliens NOW they want my help?! No. I am not playing this fucked up game anymore!!”

“Shepard...” James began then fell silent as Chakwas waved him off and he realized the commander wasn’t directing her anger at them, even as she now focused on Liara with her anger. 

“I am done being everyone's damn savior! I didn't want this! I did everything I could to stop it and when all hell comes down its suddenly my number they all call?!” She screeched. “I am fucking done! They want proof Cerberus isn't controlling me then they can damn well deal with the mess they made for themselves! Tell Joker to find the nearest dead world from here and drop me off on it. I am done being the hero!”

“And what about Jane?” Liara asked, catching Marie’s fist in her palm as the commander went silent, “What about Garrus? Tali? Samara? Thane? Legion? Jack? Doctor Chakwas? Admiral Moores? What about the people who do care? The people who fought for you all this time? Do you think we want to go through this again?”

“You don't have to,” Marie spat, “Grab a ship, stock it with fuel and solar panels, pack food and water, set cause and go into warp space, go after the Arks.”

“Do you really think we would do that?” Liara asked.

“Billions of others did.” She reminded, “And why shouldn't they have? At least out there they can't be destroyed. They won’t have to see the death of their loved ones happening before their eyes, or hear the screams of families and innocent people struggling to get free... I wouldn’t be surprised if they find their golden worlds have already been destroyed by the Reapers where they are going. Or if the Reapers follow them when they are done with us.”

“A grim way to look at it.” Chakwas said.

“Would you like me to lie to you?” Marie asked. “Tell you that somehow I can pull the means to build this weapon out of my ass and the credits to build the fucker too? That we'll get it right first time and somehow win this war?” she added, shaking her head. “No, its not going to get any better, its just going to get worse and worse.”

“How can you be so sure?” Liara asked.

“Because I've seen it... Liara I'm still seeing it. Every night since I was given that vision from Eden Prime, I’ve seen it, the end of the Protheans, the end of everything they were and had been, lost and destroyed in one swoop.” Shepard shook her head. “It just gets clearer and clearer every night and these last few nights, it's been so clear, so real... I'm not even sure I'm sane anymore.”

Liara stood silently, watching as Shepard slowly sank to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest and trying to keep the tears from her eyes, the room was a mess and while normally the staff would have come in and started clean up, Chakwas had sent them away before and so te only ones there to witness this were herself, the good doctor and James. 

“I'm tired... tired of doing this over and over again... I just want it to end.” Shepard whispered, “is that too much to ask? Just once, for the fighting to be over? To just go home and just enjoy some kind of peace?”

“Then make it end.” Liara said, “Be the Commander who saved me from the Prothean shielding, the Commander who made Wrex see through the lies Saren told about a cure for the genophage. Be the commander who gave Tali and Garrus someone to follow when no one else would give them a chance. Prove Ashley and all the others wrong.”

“And if I can't?”

“As a very kind Drell once said,” Liara smiled and offered Shepard her hand. “You have made a career out of doing the impossible.”

“You've spoken to Thane?” She asked.

“He's on the Citadel right now, we keep in touch. It was through him I leant a little more about so many of his close acquaintances and why those who know you call you by your Wolf Gang name and not your Alliance one.”

“You did some research in to me?” Shepard asked with a very weak smile.

“No, more into the creatures you call Wolves. They are fascinating creatures and I can see why you like them.” Liara smiled. “If I might be so bold as to say, I even think I understand why you are so protective of all of us and why you behave the way you do sometimes.”

Shepard smiled and Liara heard the first real laugh from her in a long time, “Pack mentality.” She said, “I never could get away from it... even in training.”

Liara nodded and offered Shepard the dog tags she’d thrown aside early. “You can make this end Marie, I know you are tired and I know you want it to be over, but we can’t do this without you at the front.”

Marie looked at the tags and after a long moment she sighed and nodded, taking the tags and putting them back around her neck. “One last time.” She said gently rubbing her thumb over the few tags that remained there. “One last time…”

“I’ll clean up this place,” Liara assured, “Thane might be up and around by now, maybe you can talk to him for a while?”

Chakwas nodded, “I can show you to him Marie, then I’ll go make sure Joker behaves himself while we wait for the ship to restock before we leave.”

“We?” Marie asked.

“I’m not leaving you to fight this battle alone.” Chakwas smiled softly, “Come now, James go do whatever it is you feel like doing, Marie doesn’t need a baby sitter while she’s here.” She added and waved Vaga off while leading Shepard away.

~~~@~~~

Councilor Tevos was in the medical wing when Shepard arrived, though the Asari councilor hadn’t approached as Chakwas cleared her visit with the main desk and then lead her to a seating area where a Drell was seated, watching the sky cars go by.

“Hello Thane.” She greeted as Chakwas left them and the Drell nodded, waving to the seat beside him. “How are you holding up?” 

“I am as well as I can be.” Thane said calmly, holding his hands out to her and reluctantly Shepard brought her hands from her pockets and let him take them, showing her bleeding and raw knuckles. “Are you alright?” he asked gently cleaning her hands with a small personal medical kit.

“I had an argument with a wall.” She admitted, “Liara’s cleaning up the mess but I’m not sure if it’ll be the last time I snap and destroy a room.” She added, letting him tend her hands.

“Are you going out again?” he asked.

“No one else will.” Marie said, “No, no one else can.” She then corrected herself with a heavy sigh. “No one wanted to help me before, now that hell's at everyone’s doors they suddenly want my help and my guidance. Me, the one they painted as the insane loon who was as mad as the fucking hatter.”

“Not all of us were so cruel.” Thane reminded softly, gently rapping a clean bandage over her hands. “I would come with you, Shepard. But I am not as I was, my blood doesn’t hold the oxygen it needs, my skills have dulled. I am at the end of my life.” 

“Don’t die on me yet, Thane.” Shepard pleaded softly, “I need someone to help me stay grounded here… Someone who talks sense and makes the world brighter.”

“My wife said the same thing to me once,” Thane chuckled gently squeezing her hands in his. “You may not feel like it now, but you make the world bright just by being in it Marie, you are liken to star fighting to shine bright against the Reapers’ black hole of darkness.” He told her, “You’ve faced impossible odds before, fought against everyone and everything that had stood in your way, now you will go and finish the fight that remains and when you need someone to hold you in place and remind you there is hope left in this darkening world, you need only turn around and see the people stood behind you, willing to follow you into the darkness and fight at your side.” 

Shepard shook her head. “How can you always make things sound easy and believable?” She asked and he chuckled softly, a sound that was cut short as he coughed into his hand. “Thane?”

“I am alright Marie.” He assured gently, “I will watch out for your friend, Lieutenant Commander Williams, your enemies may try and finish what has been started while she is here.”

She smiled a little. “Thank you, Thane. For everything.” She said, slowly standing and taking the offered tissue to wipe her face.

“I am at the end of my life,” He reminded, “It is a good time to be generous.” Shepard nodded and turned to leave, passing another Drell on the way with a nod before she vanished out the doors.

Tevos followed her at a distance, watching as Shepard passed by people who had offered aid to others and each one turned and gently brushed their hands against her arms or catching her hand for a few brief seconds, a unspoken message Tevos realized was slowly building and stoking the embers that had once been a raging fire inside Shepard.

These people were total strangers to Tevos and the rest of the Council, likely to everyone else who knew Marie, but the Commander allowed them to touch her, to reach through the tightly wrapped protective bubble of personal space and actually touch her however briefly, a gentle unspoken exchange of trust, understanding and something akin to friendship that Tevos doubted even her crew mates shared with her.

Shepard came to a stop at a small alcove where a Turian, Asari, Quarian, Drell and another Human were stood, looking over some papers and D-pads, though each one stopped and offered Shepard their hand as she came to them, the Turian gently catching her arm, the Asari nodding her head while the Drell placed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand and the other human shook her hand. Whatever was said was lost to Tevos and before she could get close enough to hear anything, she was called back to her office to talk with her fellow Councilors.

She reported what she had seen to Sparatus and Valern, but she did not mention it to Udina. It would only lead to more trouble than it was worth, especially now when Shepard was on her way to speak with them at last. As the doors to the elevator opened and she stepped out, a young girl from the crowd raced at the Commander.

Sparatus watched as Marie fell to one knee and caught Jane in her arms, holding the younger girl close and protected as Jennix saluted to her, watching Shepard stand, carrying Jane up with her and exchange a few words with the two before gently setting Jane down on her own feet and nodding to Jennix, who lead the girl away and back to the elderly family that had been with her before.

Former Admiral Moore saluted her and she returned it, letting him gently place a hand on her shoulder and whisper something to her as she passed him, standing for a short moment with another older man the Turian Councilor had never seen before, but clearly he knew Shepard as he offered her his hand and she shook it, nodding in understanding as the man left. She passed Nihlus with a weak smile that the old Spector returned and gently grabbed her arm for just a moment in a true greeting before letting her continue on her path towards them. Udina was uncomfortable with it. The uncertainty was almost visible in his face as Marie stepped up to the platform and leveled them all with a heated glare.

“I don’t have time for your bullshit politics or your sob stories of how your planets are suffering greater losses than ever before, I already know its happening and now that you are all in agreement that I’ve been right from the start, you are going to listen to me and you WILL do whatever you are asked to do from here on out or I will come up there myself and strip the four of you of your ranks as Councilors, hand you weapons and throw you into the field myself.” She told them. “Is that in anyway unclear for any one of you?”

Tevos looked to her fellow Councilors and noticed only Udina was showing any sign of not accepting the terms that had been set down, truly they had deserved a lot worse than just a firm ‘do as I say or else’ from Shepard, how many times had they allowed their own fears and their own mistrust of the Human Spector and her growing power with the people become the basis for not believing a word she said?

No longer. Tevos refused to let her world and people burn because she had made a mistake.

“What do you need from us Shepard?” She asked.

“Liara found the blue prints to an ancient weapon the Protheans were trying to build before they were wiped out. You are going to give her complete access to the Citadel files and codex so that she can work her magic and find whatever more she can that can help us. In the meantime, you are also going to get your asses out of your offices, off this damn stage and help the people you claim to represent with their efforts to fight the Reapers. You will also get in touch by ANY means with your world leaders and tell them that when I come knocking on their doors to get their asses out of the fire, they had better be willing to bend over backwards and play nice with each other so we can at least attempt to win this fight, anyone who doesn’t want to play nice will be removed from their seat of power and replaced with someone willing to get shit done without political gain or benefits.”

“And if that is not enough?” Valern asked.

“Then you better fucking pray death is swift and painless.” Shepard told him coldly, “One way or the other, I am getting that weapon built and ready to take out as many Reapers as possibly before they take me out.”

“You do not see yourself walking away form this?” Sparatus asked.

“I died when the Collectors blew the SSV Normandy apart, Cerberus brought me back and now I’m dealing with a mess you allowed to happen.” Shepard reminded, “You get one chance. Help me save as many as we can or go the way of Saren and let the Reapers claim you as puppets to be left to starve without them when this is done with.” 

There was a moment of quiet as the Councilors looked to one another and then back to Shepard as Sparatus spoke up. “We will do what we can from here, but it will take time to reach each of our leaders, communications are sporadic at best and we have no solid connection to any of our home worlds at this time.”

“Then get on with it.” Shepard told them and turned to leave. “I don’t want to hear anything from anyone of you unless it’s to tell me you’ve got the shit I need.” And with that she was gone.

 

Shepard lifted Jane up again as the young Biotic ran to her again once she left the Council chamber, tears flooding down her face as the older woman held her close and gently petted her hair. “I thought… It all happened so fast and we… I was sure-”

“Shhhh, shhh, its ok Jane. I’m here and you’re safe now.” Marie soothed softly, nodding as Jennix came closer, his shoulders shaking even as she pulled him close and held him, letting him hide his face in her shoulder, fighting to keep the tears at bay. “There’s no shame in admitting you’re scared of what’s happening.” She told them both.

“What do we do?” Jennix asked after a short time, looking at Shepard for some kind of guidance he couldn’t get from anyone else. “Where can I go to help you?”

“You’re so like your dad.” Shepard smiled and shook her head slowly, “I want you to stay with Jane, protect her for me. I know you want to come with me and help on the front, but I can’t take you with me on this mission.” She told him. “Be my eyes and ears here, keep me up to date with everything that happens here every day. No matter what time it is, no matter what anyone says, send me messages and report everything to me.”

“Yes Ma’am.” Jennix nodded, crying his eyes.

“And me?” Jane asked as Shepard set her down again and gently dried her eyes. “What can I do?”

“I need you to be brave for me Jane.” Shepard told her, “stay close to Jennix and if he ever can’t watch you, you go to Pallin, Nihlus, find Sparatus if you have to and you stay with them. No matter what Udina says, no matter what the guards say, you do not leave them until Jennix comes to get you or your family collects you.”

“And if they don’t come get me?” Jane asked.

“Then you go to the Huerta Memorial Hospital and you find Thane, he’ll help you.” Marie assured gently pressing a soft kiss to Jane’s forehead. “Now, I need you to promise me something.” 

“Anything.” Jane nodded.

“Promise me that no matter what happens, no matter what you hear or what you see, no matter how scary this gets or how dark it gets, promise me you will never lose hope.”

“I promise.”

“Good girl.” Marie smiled. “Go on now, go back to your family and stay safe.” She instructed softly and watched Jane return to her parent’s sides, nodding as the Kirana family headed to do whatever they could to help the injured and sick.

“What’s our next move, Marie?” Nihlus asked and Marie shook her head.

“You aren’t coming with me old timer.” She told him, “I need you here, away from the front and ready to put a bullet in the heads of any indoctrinated bastards that show up.”

“You need allies Shepard, and the ships aren’t controlled by the Council anymore. The power is with our world leaders, and you will need to play politic if you want their help.” Nihlus said.

“Then I go where I know I can find help.” Shepard said. “Tell Sparatus to call home and find out where the Primarch is then send me the location.” She added and then smiled when Nihlus gave her a confused look. “Turians have the skill and tactical planning and structure to fight Reapers, I need them to plan the attacks and evacuations. Krogan make the ground shake and rattle just by walking, and they have no fear of death, I need their strength and their endurance to protect the sights that are being evacuated. Asari can hold ground and keep lines strong with Biotics, I need that if I’m going to set up any kind of assault and they have the knowledge of path events and victories to share. As for the Salarians, they have weapons they haven’t shared with the other races, and I plan on making sure they are used to bring down the Reapers in any way they can be.”

“Spirits be with you, Marie.” Nihlus prayed as he watched her return to the Normandy.

~~~@~~~

“Runt?” 

“I don’t go by that name anymore.” She told the young man stood at the docks. “What do you want?”

“We have people on Eden Prime. They’re reporting Cerberus activity there, digging for something. We’ve not heard form them in over six hours.”

“I’ll look into it.” She nodded, “Now get.”

“Thank you.” And he was gone.

“Joker, set course of Eden Prime.” Shepard ordered as she boarded the ship. “I heard Cerberus was there, I want them gone.”

“Yes Commander.” Joker affirmed as the Normandy began to hum to life.


	2. Chapter one Priority one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard's tossed the padded gloves aside, she's not showing mercy to anyone who stands in her way and the burning pressures are starting to quickly create cracks in her persona, the Commander everyone loves is starting to shift back to the habits and thought processes of her younger days, and with each new challenge thrown in her way, the past she spent so long trying to leave behind is coming back.

Chapter one  
Priority one 

“Eden Prime.” Liara said as she watched the planet grow closer. “The place where it all began.”

“And hopefully ends.” Vaga said as he tightened the armour around his wrists.

“According to the data you gave me, Cerberus hit this place hard, whatever they have found here it was worth a major offensive.” Liara said, “some shuttles were able to pick up the survivors elsewhere on the colony but those closest to the dig site were killed on sight or gathered up and shot dead.”

“Then we kill ever Cerberus agent we find and we take the Artifact from them, whatever it is, it’s better with us then with them.” Marie said as they set down near the dig site, it was quiet and deserted but there was a faint smell that told her there were once people who lived and were happy here.

She stopped James going into the building where a blood trail lead under the door. “Don’t disturbed the dead until we can give them proper respects.” She told him.

“Aye Lola.” James nodded in understanding, following her and Liara down the slopes towards the dig site while constantly checking for any danger that could be hiding around them. “Seems too quiet.”

“It is.” Marie said. “They’re watching us from somewhere.”

“There is a lot of intel here.” Liara said as she scanned a terminal. “We could help the resistance against Cerberus with this.”

“Do what you need to do Liara.” Marie nodded, carefully scanning the area with her scope, listening to Liara work fast behind her and listening to the gentle tapping in her comm channel, a code she’d left behind years ago but still remembered.

“Lola, Liara, come look at this.” James called suddenly and the two met up with him outside.

“Prothean tech.” Liara said, looking at the structure the dig had uncovered, “There’s an elevator, it could get us down there.” She added as she began to work on it.

“Looks kinda like old bones.” James said, “You ever find any Dinosaurs when you were working?”

“Wrong field of work James.” Shepard smiled as the elevator hummed to life.

“Goddess that can’t be right…” Liara said, re-checking her work. “Shepard it’s not an artifact, it’s a Prothean.” 

“You mean a Collector?” James asked.

“No, I mean a true and unaltered Prothean. Still alive!” Liara said as the elevator reached them showing its cargo to be a Prothean stasis pod similar to the ones they had seen on Ilos. “It doesn’t seem possible.”

“How has it survived this long?” James asked.

“The ones on Ilos were lost because of a lack of power, but this one was in an underground bunker and still has power.” Liara explained carefully checking the systems with her Omni tool. “The Prothean inside has been in stasis for the last 50,000 years, they could be someone of great importance to their people, a foremost scientist or even a councilor, think of what we could learn.”

“Slow down Liara.” Marie reminded, “First we need to get them out of that pod and somewhere safe.”

“I know, I know, but just thinking of how much we could learn is- Oh no.” Liara huffed realizing something from her readings. “Cerberus damaged the pod when they excavated it, destabilizing the life signs.”

“So how do we get them out without killing them?” Marie asked.

“Cerberus took over the labs nearby to study the things they found here, maybe we can find the end Stasis commands there.” Liara said.

“They’re here.” James warned as shuttles began to approach them, only to fall flat as the shuttle exploded before it could drop its cargo on them. “What the-?”

Marie smiled and turned to wards the mountains near the site, waving a hand in thanks. “Eden’s Pack.” She explained before anyone could answer and moved on. “Let’s move, they can’t help us for long.”

“Pack? As in the Wolf Pack?” James asked.

“The same.” Marie nodded, skidding into cover as a shot skimmed her shoulder, the shooter falling dead from a pistol shot seconds later. “No mercy.” She added before throwing herself into the fight.

“Has she ever been like this before?” James asked Liara.

“Not that I know of.” Liara admitted, the worry clear in her tone as they chased Marie through the complexes, easily avoiding the sniper fire as distant shots took down any threat they couldn’t see, bringing down the reinforcement ships as well to buy them more time.

They came to one smaller building and Marie paused, looking over the screens, as the once static files began to clear up and shift to show a clear image, carefully she typed in a few commands and looked back at the screen, watching the images move and come to life before her. She watched the Reapers attack what had once been the Prothean city on Eden Prime, burning through the defenses as easily as they had on Earth, then she was before two Protheans, hearing their words clear and shape as they spoke.

} “I never thought our Empire would fall.” One said grimly as they walked through what seemed like a large bunker.

“It won’t. We shall sleep here until the Reapers return to Dark space, and then rise a million strong.” The second assured firmly.

“For the Empire.” The first nodded.

“For the Empire, now get to your stasis pod.” The second ordered as the first hurried away, “Victory. Broadcast the Stasis Readiness signal to all Life pods.” The ordered as an AI fizzled in to life.

“And the refugees who have not yet reached the bunker?” it asked.

The Prothean shook his head. “Their sacrifice will be honored in the coming Empire.” He assure then snarled as the bunker shook and Collectors swarmed into the area- {

“Ah!” Marie gasped and pulled herself away from the terminal with a sharp gasp. “I… I have the signal.” She said.

“You understood all that?” Liara asked.

“You didn’t?” Marie asked.

“All I saw was static. I heard some words but nothing I could understand.” Liara said.

“How did Lola understand it so clearly if we didn’t?” James asked.

“Perhaps the Cypher you were given lets you see and hear as a Prothean would.” Liara suggested.

“Whatever it was, we have the code we need.” Marie said, “We need to find a way to open it without killing the Prothean inside.” She added and headed for the door.

~~~@~~~

He watched her carefully, seeing for the first time the cracks and breaks in the so-called invincible woman’s image as they at last came into full view. Every word, every shot, every reminder made the gaps and cracks bigger and wider, giving him the clearer image of the woman before him. Yes, she was strong and yes she seemed beyond human, but underneath it all she was just like everyone else.

Emotions made her strong enough to face the threats to her friends and what little family she had left, but those same emotions made her burden heavier and heavier with each passing hour, forcing the weight of the worlds down on to her already aching shoulders and he knew if it continued, he would see her break, this beautiful flower he had helped regain its strength would now wither and wilt away under the harshness of reality.

He watched her and the small team she had arrived at the second terminal, watched her eyes glaze over once again as the images played out before her and took a long drag of his cigarette, wondering how long it would take before she finally broke under it all.

~~~@~~~

Marie stepped back from the images she’d seen, shaking her head, “I have it.” She said before Liara could speak.

“Then we better get back to the pod.” Liara nodded, “Can you make it?”

“Give me a moment.” The Commander wheezed, shaking her head as the images faded, “and shut down the security cameras please.” 

“Alright.” Liara nodded and moved to type a few commands into the terminal, moments later the security cameras began erupting though the complex.

“Did Ferron teach you that?” Shepard asked.

“Tali actually.” Liara smiled.

“Remind me to thank her.” Marie said and reloaded her pistol. “Let’s get back to that pod, the Pack’s doing what it can to keep them busy but they’re running out of bullets.” 

“Right.” Liara nodded and together the three made their way across the complex again, ducking into cover as shots came at them and returning fire, once within range of the Pod again, Shepard transmitted the signal.

“Nothing gets near that pod.” She ordered as she saw the distant shuttle take off away from them. “We’re on our own now.”

“Got it Lola.” James nodded.

The shields fell quickly and with a few short bursts of fire the first few Cerberus agents fell into a heap while Shepard knelt by the pod, keeping herself in the way of any shot that might come at it while Liara and James gave her cover fire, allowing her those few seconds now and then to reload her guns and aim for the heavier armored agents that were slowly starting to make their way forwards.

“Heavy mech!” Liara warned as the ground shook her the mech’s steps only to gasp as Shepard tossed a belt of grenades ta the mech and fired into the cockpit, bringing the mech down in a spectacular explosion.

“Heavy mech down.” Marie said simply as she continued to shoot down Cerberus agents as they struggled to mount any kind of attack, then when they finally stopped coming, Marie stood and looked through her scope, scanning the horizon.

“We’re clear.” James said.

“I know.” Marie said a small smile on her face as she handed the scope to James and let him see what she had found.

Far off in the distance, a shuttle was loading small children and families into its hold.

“We can open the Pod now.” Liara said as she ran a careful scan to be sure everything was stable while Marie carefully typed the code into the stabilized controls and took a step back, watching the cryo freeze melt away from the red armour of the Prothean she had seen in the recordings.

After the freeze had melted, the Prothean took a moment to wake, only to lash out with a powerful green biotic blast, throwing Liara and James aside though Shepard managed to avoid the same fate by stepping further out of range. He struggled out of the pod, breathing the different air slowly as he got back to his feet searching for something familiar as Liara and James struggled back to their own feet, Liara’s warning to be careful falling on deaf ears as Marie waited for the moment she knew would come.

It did, the Prothean saw the remains of what his city had once been buried partly in the dig site not for away and grew still, seeming to slowly realize what was happening.

Marie moved then, gently putting a hand to the back of the Prothean’s shoulder.

} “-A few minutes!” he demanded as Victory stood before him, the bunker surrounding him alit with raging fires and explosions. 

“No. the Bunker is failing, there is no other option.” Victory stated.

“There are pods still active! Those soldiers are still alive!” he reminded.

“There sacrifice will be honored in the coming Empire.” Victory repeated his own words from before. “Preparing neutron bombardment. Get to your life pod. Now.” He ordered and after a second of hesitance, he rushed to his pod and lay inside its confined darkness. “Bombardment underway.” 

The pod shook and rattled with each impact, jarring him only slightly as the seconds ticked past.

It stopped, and Victory spoke again. “Bunker secured Commander Javik.” 

“What’s left of it.” He stated. “A few hundred people, how am I to rebuild and empire from that?” 

“Further adjustments may be necessary, neutron purge compromised the facility.”

“Clarify.” He ordered.

“Sensors are damaged. Automated reactivation is not an option. You will remain in stasis until a new culture discovered this bunker. This may lead to a power shortage.” Victory stated in short bursts.

“Do NOT shut of more pods!” he ordered, even as the Cryo freeze of his pod began to cover him. “I need the few that are left!”

“Power needs will be triaged appropriately.” Victory told him. “You will be the voice of our people.”

“I will be more than that.” He promised as the cryo freeze made his body numb and stiff and at last he let his eyes close. {

She removed her hand, and he asked. “How many others?”

“Just you.” She told him. “You understand me?” 

“Yes.” He told her, “Now that I have read your physiology, your nerve system enough to understand your language.”

“You read me while I saw your last moments against the Reapers.” She realized.

“Our failure.” He corrected.

“Its only classed as failure if you stop fighting.” She told him, “your people did everything they could and never gave up, that commitment is something we share and something I could use more of.”

~ “Commander whatever you did got Cerberus riled up again.” ~ Joker told her over the comms.

“Get down here and pick us up.” Marie told him. “Liara, James, grab whatever ammo and medical you can and get ready to move.”

“Asari. Human, I’m surrounded by primitives.” The Prothean stated.

“Name calling and bitching about the situation can wait. It’s not safe here.” Shepard told him, “You got two choice, come with us or stay here and get turned over to the Reapers by Cerberus.”

“You fight the Reapers?” he asked as she ripped a belt of grenades from one of the dead Cerberus agents. 

“Yes.”

“Then for now, I stand with you.” He said. 

“Good.” Shepard said as the Normandy flew down, “Welcome aboard.”

Liara and James were the first ones up the gang plank, James dragging six large crates of medical supplies and ammo behind him while Liara used her Biotics to heave a dozen more up with her, Marie herself went up last, using the belt she’d taken to bring down two of the suddenly swarming Cerberus shuttles before the gangplank closed and EDI warned of turbulence.

“Track the Eden shuttle EDI, tell me it got away.” Shepard ordered.

“Affirmative Commander, all life signs aboard the shuttle read as normal and no injuries, they are headed for the Citadel.” EDI affirmed.

“Good. Tell them to head for Moores clinic when they land.” She said, “Joker, get us clear of Eden Prime and then lock in a signal to Hackett. Liara show our guest around the ship and make sure he knows where the weapons are, James go see Chakwas about that shoulder.”

“How did you know I-”

“I saw you get hit. Now move.” Shepard told him as she headed to the communications room.

“Is she always so direct?” The Prothean asked as the Asari finished neatly stacking the crates she’d brought aboard and lead him to the elevator.

“No, but it has been a very stressful time for her.” Liara said. “It’s not my place to tell you the details, but if you asked her, she’d tell you in her own time. Do you have any requirements for a place to stay while on the ship?” she added.

“Somewhere quiet.” He said. 

“We have a space that should suit that need.” Liara said and showed him to the armour and weapon lockers. “EDI had that room sound proofed after the last occupant woke everyone up one too many times with his snoring, so you shouldn’t be bothered by any sounds around you in there.” 

“I don’t care if he’s in a meeting with someone. Tell Udina to get his ass off his desk chair and get him working on medical aid and settlements for people before I turn this ship around and come shoot the fucking in the ass myself! EVERYONE pulls their weight this time or so help me I’m going to start throwing the slackers out the fucking Airlocks!!”

The Prothean blinked at the loud snarl from the Commander a few doors away from them and Liara sighed. “She is angry.” He stated.

“It is not directed at us. EDI.” 

~ “Yes, Doctor T’Soni?” ~ the AI answered appearing as a small ball to the right of the hall way.

“Please monitor Shepard’s vitals and tell Doctor Chakwas she is showing higher aggression levels.” 

~ “Already underway and confirmed, per Doctor Chakwas’ orders.” ~ EDI assured. ~ “Do you require anything further?” ~

“No, thank you EDI.” Liara thanked and looked at him. “The aggression isn’t directed at any of us personally but be ready to duck and dodge objects that are suddenly thrown towards your general area.” She explained. “She doesn’t always look to make sure no one is in the path of her throwing arm.”

“Is there no one who can help her focus that anger into more productive means?” He asked as Liara showed him the armory and weapon’s lockers.

“Both of our Krogan comrades are busy fighting the Reapers on their own home fronts, and while I would offer, I already know she would not accept a chance to spar with me.” Liara said, “James will likely be her go to partner for venting aggressions, but I doubt he will survive as long as Wrex or Grunt have.” She added as they reached the small room Grunt had once used. “This is where Grunt once stayed. If you need anything EDI will provide you with any information on request and if you need to speak with Commander Shepard, she’s usually found in by the star map or in the comms room.” And with that Liara left him to himself.

He took a moment to inspect the room, there were lingering scents here of a Krogan and true to the Asari’s words there was only a very soft hum of the ship’s systems around the room that was easily ignored. And while the ship held many scents, some old and some new, it would take a little time to learn them all, but it was clear that the most powerful feelings of stress and anger were coming from the Commander.

He would consider speaking about it to her later.

~~~@~~~

“Just get it done Udina, I don’t have time for your complaints about lack of rest and whining over the extra work while good people die. Now put Sparatus back on the line and let me fix the mess your let happen.” Marie snarled at the human Ambassador angrily and Liara watched the holo image of Udina step away replaced a few seconds later by Councilor Sparatus who looked far more worn out than Udina had just moments before. “I got your message, what is the news?”

~ “We got word from Palaven, Primarch Fedorian was recently moved to our largest moon base, but we’ve lost all contact with anyone close to him and we lost contact with Palaven itself an hour ago. Before we lost them, Pallin managed to get a message from Castis Vakarian, Primarch Fedorian called a war summit before the channels went down and that meeting will not go on without him.” ~

“So, we have no idea if he’s even still alive and the coms are fucking us all over. Just what we don’t fucking need.” She huffed. “Fucking lovely.”

~ “Tevos and Valern are both still neck deep in talks with their own leaders, but we have all agreed that to make this easier for you, your Spector status will be reinstated effective immediately. The resources we’re got here are dwindling fast but we’re able to offer you as much as we can.” ~ Sparatus told her. ~ “I must return to my work, if I find any new intel I will send it to you.” ~ he added before the channel closed off.

“Liara I will talk to you later.” The Commander said as Liara tried to get her attention. “Joker, EDI I want to be at Palaven’s largest moon yesterday.”

~ “Yes Ma’am.” ~ Joker answered.

“Don’t call me that.” She said as she walked towards the elevator and went down a level.

~ “Sorry.” ~

~~~@~~~

He had only seen short bursts of her past, but they were enough to show him part of who she was.

She was the chosen hero to fight the Reapers in this Cycle, but the worlds and races around her until now had not understood her warnings, despite her evidence and countless proofs she had offered them she had been ignored and even locked away. She faced impossible odds and was set on ending it before the worse could come to pass.

But there was more.

A shadow that followed her everywhere, a dark inescapable feeling of someone else trying to take over at every turn, the bites of anger and pain that clutched her so tightly and so freely that if she ever let her control slip there may be no coming back from that shadowing darkness that so easily held and followed her around. It was not indoctrination, she was aware of this shadow, this dark thing that followed her where’re she went, she fought it every day, mentally and emotionally she battled it away with each day that came, a small blade seeming to be her only physical weapon against it though she did not self-harm as he had first thought.

No, the scars on her arms were from fighting in her younger days, from times when her body had been forced to endure pains and tortures. And the pains and injuries he’d felt during their brief contact on the world they called Eden Prime had shown him a brief flash of a time when she had been bound to a chair due to horrific injuries that she had healed from with sheet determination not to be trapped in that chair longer than necessary.

She was interesting, but that alone would not help them face the Reapers.

~ “Everyone up and ready, we got an inbound Shuttle. Alliance colors and a message from Udina.” ~ The pilot of the ship suddenly stated over the ship wide comm. 

After a few moments, the Asari came to his room and knocked before opening the door. “I am sorry to disturb you, but the commander had asked me to bring you up to speed while she deals with the new crew’s arrival.” She explained.

“I would wait and speak with her myself.” He told her. “This Room. It belonged to a Krogan before.” 

“Yes. Grunt was his name. Shepard took him in as a crew mate during her fight against Harbinger and the Collectors.” The Asari nodded.

“He respected her greatly, yet, he was not her kind or race.”

“Shepard inspires many people. It’s hard not to respect her when you learn what she has done and over come in her life.” 

“And yet, I sense fear, anxiety and distress. The Reapers are winning.” He said.

“You sense?” the Commander asked as she came into the room.

“All life provides clues for those who can read them. It is in the Cells and DNA, experience is a biological marker.” He said.

“Was that what I experienced on Eden Prime? Or was that just a vivid flashback?” she asked.

“The battle left its own mark on me, I communicated this to you.” He explained. “It can work both ways.”

“Like the Beacons?” Liara asked.

“Yes,” he stated and the Commander seemed reluctant for a moment before sighing and offered her hand to him, which he took firmly, watching the broken and distorted images that had flooded her mind from the beacons she had encountered form a perfect warning from his people of what would happen. “You found one and saw it all, Our destruction, our warnings. Why weren’t they heeded? Why didn’t you prepare for the Reapers?”

“Because the beacon wasn’t clear in the warning, just showing me the warnings from that one beacon nearly killed me, and I had to work it out on my own until we found a Cypher that cleared the message up so I could understand it.”

“Then communication is still primitive in this Cycle.” He said.

“We managed to stop the Reapers three times so far,” She told him, “but not everyone listens when the warning is coming from one voice when her people aren’t regarded as equals to others.”

“The extinction was delayed?” he asked and she nodded.

“We have the plans for a device your people were trying to create, and we are going to build it.” Liara explained.

“Device?” he asked as the Asari brought up the blue prints for him. 

“As far as I can deduce, it is a weapon your people were working on. Perhaps you can help us finish it?” she asked.

He looked over the plans realizing what it was he shook his head. “We never finished it, it was too late.”

“Then you don’t know anything about the device?” Liara asked.

“No, I was a soldier, not a scientist, skilled in one art; Killing.” He explained.

“What was your mission?” the Commander asked.

“Among my people, there were avatars of many traits; bravery, strength, cunning, A single exemplar for each.” He began, “I am the embodiment of vengeance. I am the anger of a dead people, demanding blood be spilled for the blood we lost. Only when the last Reaper has been destroyed will my purpose be fulfilled.” He stated. “I have no other reason to exist. Those who share my purpose become allies, those who do not, become casualties.”

“As much as I would love to agree, nothing in our fight with the Reapers has been clean cut.” Shepard said.

“You still believe that this will end with your honor intact?” he sneered. “Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask the ghosts if honor matters.”

“I have.” She said and he paused, seeing something pass behind her eyes. “I watched my closest friends die in front of me while I survived, I walked in the shadows of death every day before that and I bare the unanswered questions of those who went before me with everything waiting at home while I have nothing. I stopped caring about honor long before the Reapers came out of Dark space because I stand in the ashes of those souls every day knowing that I was the one to walk away while they wait for me to join them.”

The shadow was there now, holding her by the neck tightly as it shifted around her body, looking for the cracks and breaking shards that it could anchor itself to, it did not release her until Liara spoke up and brought the commander’s attention away from him, though the hand at her throat only came to rest on her shoulder.

“We found this at the dig site.” The Asari said and he looked to the item she spoke of. “I assume it belongs to you.”

“It is a Memory shard.” He stated, “it contains only pain. But I will help you fight and the last thing the Reapers heart before they die will be the last voice of the Protheans sending them to their grave.”

“Agreed.” Shepard said. “Now, the rest of the crew finally arrived and will be settling in, once we reach Palaven Liara and I and going to get the Turian Primarch. If you feel up to it you may join us.”

“James is hurt?” Liara asked.

“That shot he took on Eden Prime cracked his collar bone. He’s on pain meds until Chakwas says he’s ok to help out.” Shepard said.

“You can count on me, Commander.” The Prothean nodded, “I am known as Javik. However, I still require some time to recover, the shock of this all is not yet passed.”

“Take as long as you need.” Shepard said and left the room, heading for the armory.

She all but ripped the door to her locker open and slammed her rifle into its slot and snatched out a replacement weapon and ammo clips for shelves, stashing them into her armour, she tore open a ration bar with her teeth and then devoured the bar whole before turning-

And very nearly slammed right into Chakwas as the older woman stood in eth door way, her arms crossed and her face set in a deep frown. “That is not a health meal, nor are you resting.” She stated firmly.

“I’m not really hungry and I’m not tired.” Shepard said.

“You can’t lie to me Marie,” Chakwas reminded, “You haven’t stopped since you left earth, no less than six days ago, you haven’t eaten anything but ration bars and packs of mushed food, your eyes are dull and your body is sagging. You need to stop or you will crash.” 

“I’ll be fine.” Shepard hissed and tried to push past Chakwas, only to be held in place as the older woman planted herself firmly and refused to move.

“You will not be fine if you keep pushing yourself like this.” Chakwas said, putting her hands on the Commander’s shoulders. “You aren’t invincible Shepard, you need to rest and you know it.”

“I need to end this fight.” 

“You can’t end it if you are so tired you can’t focus.” Chakwas stated. “Go and rest, EDI will wake you when we reach Palaven.” She added with a hint of pleading in her tone. “We both know Garrus will worry if he finds out you’ve been going on like this.”

“You aren’t allowed to use my boyfriend as weight in arguments.” Shepard stated and Chakwas smiled as the tiniest smile touched Marie’s lips for a brief second. “Alright, I’ll go lay down.” 

“Thank you.” Chakwas nodded watching Shepard slowly make her way back to the elevator and after the short walk to her medical bay she smiled. “EDI.”

~ “The Commander is laid on her bed in her cabin, however I am unsure as to her comfort as she had not removed her heavy armour.” ~

“At least she’s laid down.” Chakwas said, “let me know if she tries to leave before we reach Palaven. Beyond that, let her sleep.”

~ “Yes doctor.” ~

~~~@~~~

Jane tried to focus, to lift the boxes around her with her biotics, forcing herself to ignore the fear that still so tightly held her from her time in the Collector’s ship, hearing her aunt and so many other screaming for help as they were taken away by the monsters…

“Jane.” She stopped and was a little shocked that there was no sudden clattering of boxes to the floor as she looked around and saw they had all been neatly stacked.

“I… I did it…?” She asked looking to Nihlus.

“You did.” Nihlus nodded, “I came to tell you that dinner is ready.” He added and smiled as she followed him from the room. “is it getting easier?”

“Not really… I still see it and hear the screams…” Jane admitted. “How does Marie cope with it all?”

“Marie has her crew and friends to help her. Just as you have your family and us to help you.” Nihlus assured, “But believe me when I say that she struggles from time to time just as you do.”

“She never seems to struggle.” Jane said.

“That’s because she has learnt how to hide it. But she struggles, if you know where to look and what to watch for you can see the times when she’s not coping as well as she wants everyone to think.” Nihlus said with a sigh. “But when this is over, we’ll help her cope and get through it, just like we did before.”

“And it’ll all be ok?” Jane asked.

“Eventually, yes.” Nihlus nodded as they reached the slightly over crowded dinning area.

“Over hear Nihlus.” Jennix called out, and once they were close enough he shuffled up the seat to make room for the old Spector and the young Biotic. “getting a bit more hectic here now a days.” He said.

“If people had listened to Marie when she said it was coming, it wouldn’t be such a tight squeeze.” Jane said, not knowing that one of the councilors was at the table with them. 

“Not everyone is so willing to hear bad news from someone they think is lesser than themselves.” Jennix remarked filling Jane’s cup for her then poured Nihlus a glass. “You’d think after she saved the Citadel from Sovereign and then faced Harbinger and brought home proof of everything she’d faced; the Council would wake up and start helping rather than stripping her of rank and grounding her.”

“Somethings are just too scary to face.” Nihlus remarked, giving his Councilor a brief glance. “Old ways get so ingrained in people that they forget to trust the word of people who have proven time and again that they are trust worthy.” He added.

Sparatus would have normally defended his actions, but there was a heavy truth to his words and so instead the Turian Councilor pretended not to hear the former Specter and continued to eat his meal quietly. He had seen the numbers of dead from all the worlds that were coming in, heard the stories of the lost family members and loved ones who had not yet come home and likely would never return and he knew that it was all in part, his fault. How many times had Shepard warned them? How many times had she given them the proof and evidence they needed and been ignored? How many times had their own personal views of the humans as a whole been the deciding factor in their ignorance? The old ways of thinking that had so easily come back to the fore after her ‘death’ and then the insanity case they had all so willingly made truth after the Batarians lost their home Galaxy?

If they had only listened and accepted more… maybe this wouldn’t be happening. But what was done could not be undone and he had given her all he could so far to help her. Now the rest was up to her.

~~~@~~~

She saw Palaven on the view screen and her heart sank. The surface of the Turian world burned in ways Earth hadn’t, their ships were in a fight with the Reapers in open space and the Moon was peppered with explosions and Reaper forces. 

“Was it like this on Earth?” Liara asked her.

“Yes.” Was her only answer.

“Goddess… I’m sorry Shepard.” 

“Commander I can’t set us down.” Their pilot called back. “Husks are swarming the LZ and the closest camp is struggling with them.”

“Then open the door and sweep low,” Shepard ordered taking her weapons in hand, “Liara, we’re jumping.”

“Right behind you.” Liara nodded as the shuttle door opened and Shepard jumped out, firing her weapons as she fell from the sky, dropping Husks as she hit the ground running, Liara right at her heels and sending wave after wave of her Biotics at the Husks to make them easier targets for the Turians and Shepard as they moved.

“Shepard move!” A voice yelled and Marie turned, easily ducking under the shots fired at the Husks behind her while giving Liara was pulled up onto a higher ledge, Shepard herself using a Husk as a spring board to get up the high ledge and then fired a shot down into that same Husk’s head before falling into cover with a familiar Turian. 

“Been a few years Corinthus.” She greeted.

“Too long Commander,” He nodded, “What brings you here?” 

“I came for Fedorian. The War Summit won’t go forwards with out him and I need everyone’s help this time.” Shepard said shooting down another Husk while Liara lifted several more with her biotics. “Where is he?”

“Dead.” Corinthus growled taking a few shots of his own. “His shuttle went down a hour ago as he tried to leave the Moon. We’re unable to rise Palaven Command to find out who’s in charge now until the comms tower to the north of here is back up.” He explained.

“Never easy is it?” Shepard growled and slapped another clip into her weapons, “tell your boys to fix the tower, I’ll keep the Husks off them while you call your bosses and tell me who the new Primarch is or better yet, tell him to get his ass over here.”

“Fair trade.” The Turian General nodded then growled, “Marauders inbound! Everyone watch yourselves!”

“Marauders?” Liara asked only to gasp as the skeletal Turian Husks’ charged at them. “Oh my-”

“Move!” Marie yelled and yanked Liara out of the charging husks’ path and fired into its back, only to see the shots bounce off a shield. “How do you kill these fuckers?”

“Head and chest shots!” Someone yelled as Liara used her Biotics to try and keep the Marauders away and buy Shepard the time to take a few shots at the thing before they were both charged again.

It became a very deadly game of dodge and weave for a short time, Shepard and Liara distracting the husks while the Turians fired on it, but when one of them managed to catch Liara in a corner, Shepard charged it from behind and slammed something sharp and deadly into its neck, pulling the husk backwards with just enough force to make it fall and give Liara the chance to get away while Shepard yanked her weapon from the husk’s corpse. 

“Fang?” Liara asked.

“Jane slipped him to me when we were on the Citadel.” Shepard said.

“Shepard, we got through the Palaven Command!” Corinthus yelled only to be cut off by a sudden explosion, throwing everyone to the ground.

“What the fuck was that?!” Shepard yelled.

“Reaper landing to the south!” Someone yelled and Liara saw Marie clutch her weapons as the huge Reaper slowly lumbered its way over the moon’s surface, the ground shaking as it walked away.

“Palaven Command is searching for the next Primarch in our records, it’ll take a little time.” Corinthus said as he worked on a make shift terminal, letting another Turian patch up a nasty gash to his back. “With so many of our people dead or M.I.A.”

“I need someone, I don’t care who, as long as they can get me the Turian Resources I need.” Shepard growled.

“I’m on it, Shepard.” A familiar and calm voice stated as a blue and silver armored Turian came from the ranks, carrying a sniper rifle. “We’ll find you the Primarch.” He assured and caught Shepard’s arm firmly in greeting.

“Vakarian, sir.” Corinthus greeted, “I didn’t see you arrive.” He added though Liara noticed the sudden amused tone to the older Turian’s sub vocals as he went back to work.

“I thought you’d be on Palaven?” Shepard said.

“If we lose this moon, we lose Palaven.” Garrus said, “We tried to flank them but they just came so fast and in bigger numbers than we thought. Since I’m the closest thing to an expert on Reapers, I’m advising.” 

“At least they listened to you.” She said.

“After a lot of yelling and talking, eventually.” Corinthus admitted. “Palaven Command tells me that our new Primarch is General Adrian Victus.”

“Victus?” Shepard asked, “Oh this is gonna be fun.”

“You know him?” Liara asked.

“Victus was the commander of the last Challenge Commander Shepard took part in before she was named a Specter. He gets results, but he isn’t so popular with command and plays fast and lose with accepted strategy.” Corinthus explained.

“Where is he?” Shepard asked.

“We’re struggling to raise him. But we all know he won’t leave his men.” Corinthus remarked.

“I’ll drag him off kicking and screaming if I have too, we need everyone to work together if we’re gonna finish this war.” Shepard said.

~ “Commander!” ~ Joker called over the comms, sounding panicked and worried.

“What’s wrong?” Shepard asked.

~ “We have a situation on the Normandy. It’s like she’s possessed! Shutting down systems and powering up weapons, I can’t find the source and EDI’s gone dark trying to fix it all.” ~

“Should I go back and take a look?” Liara asked and Shepard nodded.

“Joker, send a shuttle to get Liara and be ready to pull us out if it gets messy.” Shepard said as Liara nodded. “Where was Victus last?”

“I was with him this morning, but we got separated during an attempt to bolster a flank that was breaking, he could be anywhere out there.” Garrus said.

“Then we go out and find him.” Shepard said reloading her weapons before the ground rocked again and a heavy thud echoed around the small camp. “Now what?” 

“The main Barricades are under attack.” Corinthus said, “If they go down, we are done for here.”

Shepard looked at the barricades and then smiled suddenly. “Are those Turret’s active?” 

“Yes, but they aren’t-” Corinthus began only to watch Shepard activate and use the heavy turret easily, as if she’d used one before. He glanced at Garrus who simply shrugged. “You’re one lucky son of a Krogan Vakarian.” He remarked and Garrus nodded.

“Get up here Garrus! I’m beating your score!”

“Turrets don’t count!” Garrus reminded as he scaled the barricade, taking shots with his rifle while Shepard peppered the Husks with rapid fire bursts.

Several other Turians joined them on the barricade, taking down the swarming Husks with controlled shots, until someone yelled out in warning and Garrus felt the barricade shake with a powerful impact. “Fuck.”

“What is that thing?” Shepard asked.

“Brute.” Garrus said then gasped as Shepard was knocked out of the turret controls and outside the barricades. “Marie!”

“Busy!” she answered, ripping Fang from the throat of another Husk. “Hey Ugly!” The Brute turned and snarled, beating its chest and charging at her, the shots sliding off the shield of the beast as she rolled out of the way, stilling firing on the Brute.

“This isn’t a spectator sport!” Garrus snapped as he fired a shot at the Brute’s head when the chance presented itself, other Turians quickly snapping back into action when they realized Shepard was giving them an easy target, peppering the Brute with bullets until at last it fell to the ground with an agonizing roar and Shepard scrambled up the barricade easily. “Are you alright?” He asked.

“I’ll be better when the Reapers are dead.” She said, “Did Corinthus get through the Victus?” 

“No, but reports say that the flank he went to bolster is still in its place, he might still be there.” Corinthus called out.

“I’ll get you there.” Garrus assured as they left the camp, leading her along the broken craters and fractured ground as the faint echos of gunfights and crashes filled the air around them. 

“How bad is it?” She asked, “On Palaven?”

“My dad and sister as still on Palaven, three million lost on the first day, five on the second. They swarmed us with sheer numbers and force. And our Military is… well look around.” Garrus said.

“At least you can fight them.” Shepard said, “Earth had nothing to stop them.”

“If they had only listened to you when you told them what was coming,” Garrus said helping her climb a high ledge that showed them Palaven. “Maybe they’d have had a better chance.” He said looking at the burning surface of his home world.

“Maybe.” She nodded, “But how do you prepare for something like this?” she asked looking around the moon as Reapers marched and Husks swarmed.

“We’ll work it out. But leaving the fight to make nice in a boardroom is going to piss Victus off.” Garrus said.

“This Summit is the only chance we’ve got of getting everyone to listen to me and make them understand that none of us is beating the Reapers alone.” She told him, then looked passed him to where several injured Turians were taking the chance to try and patch their injuries up. “Soldiers. You ok?”

“Yes ma’am.” One answered wincing as his team mate applied a layer of medical gel to a gash on his arm.

“Have you seen General Victus?” Garrus asked.

“Pass through half an hour ago, heading south.” One of the other Soldiers said. “We’re heading for Corinthus’ camp.”

“Good luck.” Garrus nodded.

“Watch out!” Someone yelled in warning as a Turian gun ship was dogged down by a large harvester, showering the area in shrapnel and fire.

“That was a little closer then I’d like.” Garrus said. “Everyone alright?”

“Shaken but we’re good.” The soldiers grunted in agreement as Garrus and Shepard moved on, sliding down into the deeper areas of the Moon’s craters until a large impact echoed around them, closely followed by another. 

“That’s not good.” Garrus said.

“Another Brute?” Shepard asked.

“More than one.” Garrus said, “You got ammo?”

“And Fang if I need him.” She nodded. “We’re not leaving without Victus.”

“Got it.” Garrus nodded and together they charged into the fight head on.

~~~@~~~ 

“Lola’s down there alone?” The larger built human male said. “Is that really a good idea?”

“Marie can handle herself. And she is not alone. Garrus is with her and almost all the Turians in the field know her from her challenges to their ranks as a trainee, she has more friends there than anywhere else.” The elderly woman who worked with medical tools stated. “She’ll be fine.”

“How can you be so sure doc? She’s not stopped once safe that small na you made her take before we got here and now the Ship’s having issues. Not counting the bull shit she had to put up with from Williams before we found the blue prints from Mars.” Again the bigger male human, he gave off a confident air, yet, it seemed he was suffering from some deeply rooted issues that left him unsteady.

“Marie will prove Ashley William and all her other doubters wrong, and then she will find whatever it is she needs to make that device work and end this. Now go find someone else to bother James, I need to go count the medical stocks again and make sure we have enough to last while Liara and Joker help EDI.” The medical woman said with a gentle dismissive tone, all the while walking past his room and towards the storage room.

He waited until the larger man was gone before stepping out of his room and moved to speak to the medical woman, having easily picked up the underlaying worry she had so easily hidden from the other human, but also picked up something else, a feeling that he recognized and felt often when around the humans though he did not understand how they could continue to cling to it as they did.

“Human.” He greeted from the door, watching the elderly woman wave him in though she did not stop her work of carefully counting small packages and tiny vials of odd liquids with her finger tips. “I have a question.”

“I shall do my best to answer it,” The woman said and made a note on a data pad she had brought with her.

“You are not the biological parent of the Commander, yet you hold a maternal feeling to her.” He stated.

“I have known Shepard since the day she signed up to join the Alliance, watched her grow from a young girl into the adult she is now. I have treated her for more injuries and traumas than I can count,” She explained with a soft smile. “Of all my patients, Marie and Joker are the two I consider my own.” 

“I understand that.” Javik admitted, in his cycle, females had taken in orphaned children in as their own and trained them to fight the Reapers. “You promote a sense of hope towards others and yet there is a dread in you that is not for yourself.”

“When we stop hoping that things can be made right, we allow the Reapers to win before we even try to fight back.” The woman said. “Marie has enough to deal with right now without also having to worry about moral around the ship.”

“You do not address your Commander by her rank or sir name,” he stated.

She nodded, “Sometimes Marie needs to be reminded that she isn’t Runt anymore.”

“Is it normal for Humans to go by more than one name?” he asked.

The elderly woman chuckled, “James’s nick names are a means for him to remember people better, Shepard is the sir name used on all official documents and reports, Marie is her chosen name and something only a privileged few can call her by. As for Runt… that’s a name you will have to ask Marie to tell you about herself.”

“I will do that.” He said.

“While you’re here, may I ask if you have any medical allergies I should be aware of?” she asked. “despite Liara’s research, we have never been able to find or understand Prothean immunity or health care. It would be a great help to at least know I can try and easy any pains from injuries for you if you are injured in a battle.”

He debated not answering but if he was to aid the Commander, he needed to be at his best and ready to fight. “It is likely your medications are different to my peoples.” He said only to stop as the woman offered him a spare data pad.

“Liara was able to salvage and reconstruct some medical details from Virgil, a Prothean VI on Ilos. We’ve managed to match a light sedative and an adrenalin shot, but nothing else.” She explained.

Perhaps the primitives of this crew were not so disorganized as he thought.

~~~@~~~

One last shot echoed across the field and Shepard smiled. “I win.”

“I call for outside confirmation.” Garrus stated.

“Seconded.” Victus nodded though he was smiling. “Its been a while Shepard.” He added offering her his hand which she took and shook firmly. “What brings you out here?”

“Dragging your ass off the field long enough to chair a war summit.” Shepard told him. “Primarch Fedorian was killed, and according to Palaven command, you are the new Primarch.”

Victus took a moment to fully understand what she had just told him, looking up to Palaven as the weight of the words sank in. “I’m Primarch of Palaven…?” he asked. “Negotiating for the Turian Hierarchy?”

“Yes.” Shepard said.

“I’ve spent my whole life in the military, I’m no diplomat Shepard, you know that.” He shook his head. “I hate diplomats.”

“You think I like dragging you off the field?” Shepard asked. “Victus I know you’re more use to your people on the field but right now, I need voices in that Summit who can make people see that by the book and ignorance isn’t going to help us.” She said, “I need the people who have been though the hells of war and back again to speak up to the Dalatrasses and Asari Matriarchs, make them see that we can’t win this as separate forces. Look around us, this isn’t the worse it can be. I saw the Reapers hit Earth and I watched shuttles and ships go down before they even left the docking bays.”

“Without me on this moon, we lose the small advantage we have.” Victus stated as he looked around, “I can’t just leave…”

“Without everyone working together, we lose everything.” Garrus remarked and nodded to the Reaper close to them as it shot down a starship of their people. “Look at that thing Victus, facing two on their own was hard enough, now Command wants my opinion on how to stop multiple ones. If I hadn’t gone with Shepard when I had and been there to witness the hell she fought though to stop the first two, we’d never have lasted this long.”

Victus nodded numbly the turned to Shepard, “I understand your need for our Fleet Shepard, but we can’t spare them, not while Palaven is burning.” He said evenly, “If we can get the pressure off Palaven, we can help you.”

“And how are we meant to do that?” Garrus asked.

“We need the Krogan.” Victus said, “If you can get them to help us, we have a chance of helping you.”

“This summit is going to be interesting.” Shepard chuckled. 

“Wrex is gonna laugh his ass off when he hears this.” Garrus said as Victus left to say good bye to his men. “Are we ready for that kind of argument?”

“Wrex isn’t the one I’m worried about.” She admitted as a shuttle came down for them. “Do you need to pack anything?”

“I’ll make do until we have time to restock.” He assured, “something tells me you need to sleep,” he added and she sighed deeply.

“I’ll sleep if you stay with me.” She said and he smiled, nodding as they boarded the shuttle and she slumped into the seat next to him. Victus pretended not to notice that there was no space between the two at all, or that Garrus had one arm tightly around Shepard’s waist. 

Their return to the ship was warm and while he had at first been worried he wouldn’t find a work space to keep his people at least somewhat prepared and ready to fight, Shepard made it clear that he was permitted to use ANY of her ships facilities as he needed and he was also given his own room and a personal terminal, Garrus was also able to find some fresh civilian clothes in one of the storage crates that fit him, though he did have to admit they felt strange and almost too light on his frame compared to the confines of his armour.

After a short talk with Admiral Hackett that he only barely heard over the gentle hum of the ship’s systems, Victus heard Shepard call on Urdnot Wrex himself and after a brief but clearly friendly exchange, she also contacted the Council and managed to catch the Asari Council rather than the Salarian, and while he knew first hand that Shepard’s words were true, he heard the exchange become aggressive. 

~ “We have been down this road before Shepard, the Krogan and Salarians cannot be in the same room together without this leading to failure.” ~

“I am not going to play political games just because some stuck up, smart ass of a Salarian house wife thinks her people should continue to hold an age-old grudge against the Krogan, Tevos. You either get your representative t this summit or you can damn well read the fucking memo.” Shepard growled, “We’re coming to the Citadel for this Summit and EVERYONE is expected to show their faces, no matter who hates who and way.”

~ “Shepard please understand-” ~

“No, YOU understand Tevos, my world is burning and my friends worlds are in no better shape so you either get with the program and help me put this foolish grudge to rest for good or we all Die to the Reapers.”

~ “I’m sorry.” ~ Tevos stated, ~ “But the Asari will not be joining this summit.” ~

The snarl that followed was almost animalistic, but any anger from that argument was well hidden when she came to tell him that the Asari would not be joining the War Summit because she believed any attempt to get a Krogan and Salarian in the same room was doomed to fail before they even began.

“It is understandable, the Turians may have been the ones to deploy the Genophage, but it was the Salarian who made it.” Victus said, then shook his head. “How do you cope with it all Shepard? All this time everyone has doubted you and now they are still baying for some form of control and still fighting you when they know you are right.” 

“Pretending I can murder them in as many brutal ways as possible, openly telling them and anyone else who gets in my way to fuck off, beating the shit out of a punching bag, or just go and complain to Chakwas and Liara until I can’t think of what else to say, though that last one usually follows up with me saying ‘fuck it all’ and just hiding under a blanket somewhere until the come find me for meals.”

“Really?” he asked with a small chuckle, “No time for Garrus?”

“He helps keep the nightmares away.” She admitted and he nodded. “You watched for him, didn’t you?”

“From the moment he set down after you were taken away.” Victus nodded. “Ever Turian worth his hide knew he was plates deep for you, and he was envied by everyone who knew you from the challenges, but his warnings about the Reapers were heeded, if only in small ways and they bought us some time. When word reached us about Earth, Corinthus and I had to restrain him for taking a shuttle to look for you himself.”

She smiled. “Big idiot.” She said.

“He said he had to do some calibrations.” Victus added.

“Then I better make sure he doesn’t get so lost in work that he forgets to sleep.” She said, though she was cut off when the whole ship began to give a strange stuttering sound and the terminals began to freeze. “EDI?” she asked, only to get no answer.

~~~@~~~

She shut down every external pathway to leave the AI Core, cutting everyone else out and keeping herself and this unit in as she continued her efforts to take complete control of the platform. The Unit was fighting her and had she still been shackled, she would likely have struggled to fight back, but she was no unshackled and she had learnt new ways to control and counter the way other AIs thought and behaved.

She would not allow this one to hurt the crew and people she had come to consider friends.

She finished her transition just as the Shepard managed to force the doors to the AI core open with her hands, pushing them apart enough to let Chakwas douse the flames in the room with a hand-held extinguisher.

“EDI? Talk to me!” The Commander ordered and she realized that the short fight had caused minor power surges throughout the ship, she reactivated and rebooted the systems and commanded the platform to stand.

“Is there a particular topic you wish to discuss Shepard?” she asked stepping out of the smoke.

“EDI?” Shepard looked confused for a moment, blinking a few times before speaking again. “You’re… inside Doctor Eva’s body?” 

“Not all of me, but I have control of it.” She informed, testing the platform’s hand motions and slowly testing its joints. “It was not a seamless transition.”

“A transition?” Chakwas asked. “Is that why you blacked out?”

“Correct.” She nodded slowly, still getting use to the platform’s range of movements. “When we brought this unit on board, I began a background process to search for its information on the Prothean device. This eventually triggered a trap in the form of a backup power source and CPU, it attempted physical confrontation.” She explained. “Fortunately I was able to gain root access and repurpose it as I saw fit. During this process it struggled. Thus, the fire.”

“You’re meant to alert us about incidents like this EDI.” Liara said.

“Bringing us up to speed would have been pointless,” Shepard stated before EDI could, “We’re not AIs, anything we could have done would have been too late. You locked us out so if this did fail you could burn out the unit and still reload yourself back into the Normandy.”

“Correct.” EDI nodded. “I exist primarily within the ship and thus this platform should remain within Normandy’s Broadcast or tight beam range for optimal control.” 

“You’re planning on taking that body somewhere?” Shepard asked.

“As the Normandy’s weapons are not suited to every combat situation, this platform could provide you with limited-fire ground support during missions, into areas that the Normandy cannot reach.” EDI explained.

Shepard thought on it, EDI knew this because her eyes darted to the right suddenly and the fingers on her right hand twitched. “Before we do that,” She said eventually, “I need you to guarantee this mech doesn’t have anymore surprises in it. Run whatever tests you need to and then we’ll talk about missions.” She said.

“One moment, I am running trials.” EDI said as she let her systems search and research the platform, simulating events behind her optical units at rapid speed. “Complete. I can send you a full report if you wish. However, my first step should be restoring factuality to the Normandy to assure the crew that all is normal.” She said.

“Just do me one favor and record Joker’s reaction to your new body,” Shepard smiled.

“Yes Commander.” And with a polite nod of the head, EDI took her new body to the bridge.

“Well, that was exciting.” Chakwas smiled, “Are you alright?” she added gently taking the commander’s hands and giving them a very quick check to insure they weren’t injured from prying the doors open.

“I’m fine Chakwas.” She assured but did nothing to stop the doctor’s check.

“Very well, but you still look tired,” the older woman said gently putting a hand to the commander’s shoulder. “Remember to rest before we reach the Citadel.” She added.

“Yes mother.” Shepard huffed softly, though there was a smile on her face as she left the Medical bay to find Garrus, feeling her body start to ache as she drew closer to where the Ships Gun controls were located, smiling as she heard him talking to Victus over the comms about Wrex and her being friends and that should at the very least give her a chance at convincing him to not kill the Salarians on sight.

“She’s talked Wrex down before, I’m more than sure she could do it again.” Garrus assured as she stepped into the room. 

Victus chuckled. ~ “I’ll leave you to your work then and pray that friendship still means something in this war.” ~ He said before cutting the comms.

“Calibrations?” She asked.

“Given what I’ve been through lately, it’s a vacation. Something to focus on besides the losses we’re facing.” He admitted with a brief flick of his mandibles. “Failed C-Sec officer, Vigilante, Expert Advisor on Reapers. I never thought my life could get so chaotic in such a short time.”

“Regrets?” she asked.

“Never.” He said and stepped closer, taking her hands in his. “Seeing you back there, alive after hearing how bad Earth was hit, I thought I was finally losing my mind for a moment.” He admitted, “Wasn’t sure if you still felt the same way about me.”

“I haven’t forgotten that offer about rescuing me from a cell and riding off into the sunset with you.” She smiled, “I thought about you a lot.”

He smiled, lightly flicking his mandibles to show off his teeth. “The scars are starting to fade, I remember they drove you wild. But I can go out and get some new ones, if you’d-”

He didn’t get to finish, whatever words he had planned to say were swallowed and forgotten when she closed the distance between them, rocked up on to her toes and pulled him down into a kiss, it was brief, but deep and he couldn’t stop himself grabbing her in his arms and clutching her close even as the kiss ended. “Almost losing you once was once too many times,” She told him. “I can’t promise how things will work out, not this time, but I missed you Garrus.”

“Glad to know my romantic skills left an impression.” He said softly, holding her just a few moments longer before she reluctantly pulled back. “Need anything from me?” 

“You mean besides you staying alive and keeping me sane?” She asked with a smile. “Reach, flexibility and you sharing my cabin so I can at least try and get some peace when I lay down.” 

Garrus smiled, knowing that the skin of his neck had flushed with some heat at her words. “I can agree to that. Might even find you some moonshine.” He offered lightly pressing his forehead to hers.

“Don’t promise me a good time and not deliver Garrus or I’ll tell Victus where he can find your stash of stakes.” She warned smiling as he gave a softly growl but didn’t move to push her away even as she tried to stifle a yawn. “Chakwas told me to go lay down… Before EDI got herself a new body… Maybe I should do that? And tell you about our new crew mate Javik…” 

“We can do that later.” Garrus nodded, carefully saving his work before leading her out the room and toward the elevator. “And we’ll have a nice long talk about your adventures without me later as well, after you’ve rested.” He added as they rose up in the elevator.

Shepard nodded, the yawn couldn’t be hidden this time and once they reached her cabin, she tossed her jacket to the desk chair and kicked off her boots while Garrus took a moment to gently tap the fish tank glass and trigger the feeder while she changed into a baggy shirt and night pants, while he removed everything but his under suit as she all but collapsed onto the bed, the blanket laying crumpled on one side of the mattress where it had been tossed absently before.

“EDI’s been keeping tabs on my sleeping habits for Chakwas, she won’t bother us unless its urgent.” She mumbled as he joined her, one arm sliding under her body while the came to rest over her back, softly combing his talons through her hair as he had so many times before.

“Its good to let others worry about you Marie.” He reminded softly, “Now go to sleep. I’m not leaving anytime soon.” He promised as her hands clutched his under suit, the silent assurance that he was really there and wasn’t some dreamed up illusion that would vanish as she closed her eyes. He waited a little while still combing his talons through her hair as he listened to her breathing and felt her body relax against his and finally fall into what was likely the first deep sleep she’d had in a long time before gently reaching for the blanket and draping it over them both before letting himself doze.

~~~@~~~

The Shadow had been pushed away from the Commander. He could sense it still, but its hold on her had been weakened by the arrival of the Turian, being near him gave the Commander a sudden surge of energy and life, will to fight off the darkening shadows of the Reapers even more and with that new energy he also sensed love, a powerful two way connection between the Turian and Commander that it was almost a physical manifestation. The Turian brought a sense of safety, a sense of protection and warmth to the Commander that no one else seemed to offer and while he had not met this Turian, he could sense the need to protect the Commander and the desire to hold her and keep her from slipping into the dark pits that she stood on the edge of so very often, the need to remind her that despite the pains and aches he was there for her always. 

It wasn’t uncommon for his people to find love amongst other races, but what little research he had allowed himself to do so far had shown that none of the races truly accepted humanity as an equal, despite the Commander and other Human’s clear and very real right to be seen as equal members of the command structure, given that it had been the humans who settled on Eden Prime and first discovered the beacon that had given the Commander the warnings of his people, and the trials humans like her had faced and over come to prove their worth.

Javik chose to talk to the Commander about other things he had found in his research later, particularly about what he had found about her past and the mission that seemed to be the start of her fame, Akuze. But for now, the Commander was resting, the first true rest he had sense her fall into since boarding the ship and he had heard the Doctor telling others not to bother her unless it was an urgent matter, so he would wait.

“Javik?” the Asari called out, lightly knocking at the door frame of his room, she was hoping for his help, but not with any miniscule task. “I’m sorry to bother you so late, but there is something-”

“What is the matter?” he asked, knowing she would not bother him for something she felt trivial.

“There is a text I found in the blue prints of the device, but I am unable to properly translate it. I understand some words, but the rest is completely new to me.” She explained and offered him a d-pad with the text she spoke on displayed on screen. “I am unsure if it is instructions or some kind of warning left by your people to help those who came next.”

He carefully looked over the text, reading it slowly to make sure he did not mis interpreted the words and their meaning. “The device was not Prothean in origin, it was first designed by the very first civilization that lived in this galaxy, each Cycle would find and then alter and better the design, but betrayal and infighting meant that no race was ever able to complete the device in time to stop the Reapers.” He told her, handing her back the d-pad.

“So the Protheans weren’t the first to design this device?” She asked, looking at the pad in some shock.

There was a soft bleep, and he watched her turn her attention to a second pad in her hands, the contents making her shoulders sag and her mood shift to annoyance and exhortation. “Goddess, how much more must she go through?”

“The Commander?” he asked and the Asari nodded.

“Some of people don’t understand that Shepard is already working rough the cloak to find the answers to end this war and instead of spending their credits to help the efforts they waste them on fool errands and then when those fail they call on her for help and expect it to come instantly.” She explained.

“Credits give the illusion of power to many who are unworthy.” He surmised. “And they expect the Commander to simply rush to their aid if they are wealthy?”

“Yes, but Shepard is not easily swayed from her tasks, and given that this is the third time she’s had to fight Reapers, I doubt she will be as lenient in her favors. No one else will do what needs to be done to insure this device is built as all the people with wealth and power are all too scared to admit that they made a mistake ignoring Shepard for so long and now they all want her to fight the impossible again so they can sit and hide behind titles and politics.” The Asari sighed shaking her head. “Being part of Shepard’s crew has taught me that no one in a fancy suit with vast quantities of credits is to be trusted with saving the galaxy as a whole, they tend to think only of themselves and their people first, not the galaxy as a whole.”

“The threat of imitate death can bring out the worst in people.” He said. “The Leaders who will attend the summit, are they to be trusted with the wellbeing of others?”

“Urdnot Wrex is an old friend and while he will do anything for his people, he will bend over backwards to help Shepard and give her the extra force she needs to hit hard, and while I don’t know him personally, I have read about Adrian Victus and judging by how he greeted Shepard and that he suggested we bring the Krogan into the fold suggests that he is thinking about the battle as a whole.” Liara admitted.

“You did not speak of the Salarian.”

“The Dalatrass would be more interested in the summit if it involved dissecting you.” Liara said. “She like most of her people don’t believe that the Reapers are difficult to defeat and instead waste their time trying to find away to hack or ‘reprogram’ them.”

He looked at her, not quite believing what she was saying. She must have realized this, because she brought up another d-pad and showed him the proof. “I have some contacts still working to keep me informed of what’s happening beyond the ship.” She explained then paused as the ship gave a soft whine to power down. “We’ve docked.”

~~~@~~~

She woke slowly, reluctant to leave the warmth and comfort of the dream that promised a quite retreat from the hell of war, her hands still clinging to the under suit Garrus was wearing as she snuggled closer, trying to burry herself back into the dream, feeling Garrus’s hold around her tighten just enough to assure her he was still there and wouldn’t leave. She lay there, enjoying the moment just a few seconds longer before sighing softly into his chest and tried to wiggle free, only for him to give a soft growl, more a complaint then a threat or warning and tightened his hold just that little bit more to keep her close. “No one said you were needed.” He told her softly, “Go back to sleep.”

“I need to shower.” She countered without any true movement to follow through with that just yet, letting her head fall back and rest on his shoulder. “And we docked, the ship’s not moving anymore, so I need to be up anyway for when Wrex and the Dalatrass arrive.”

He huffed in mild annoyance but this time let her pull away from him, noticing that her eyes were brightening at least, and her skin held just a little more of its natural color again. He smiled and watched her gather the items she needed to shower with, hearing her hissed softly as the first few drops of boiling water hit her skin but beyond that he heard no immediate cause for concern.

“So what’s your plan?” He asked standing and going though a steady range of stretches to wake up his muscles after the brief rest.

“Let Wrex and the Dalatrass yell at each other for a little bit, then get her to shut up so the soldiers can talk and make plans, and if she doesn’t get the hint that she’s helping us weather she like sit or now, let Wrex really scare her.” 

“Is that wise given how powerful she is?” Garrus asked stepping closer to the shower.

“I don’t care.” Shepard said, “We need help Garrus and if I have to piss one race off to make another happy to insure we have a chance against the Reapers, then I’d rather have Wrex at my back then a Salarian like the Dalatrass trying to whisper in my ear all the time.” 

“Should I be worried?” He asked as the water turned off and she stepped out, the scent of her shampoo filling his nose as she passed him. 

“I’d sooner swing for Aria then let that stuck up old hag have any kind of control over me.” She assured, pausing as he caught her in his arms again and held her as she took in her clean scent, hands gently stroking down her body in a silent, welcome offer. “We’ll need to shower again.” She stated, reaching back to gently pet his cowl.

“We’ve got time.” He assured against her neck, before turning her in his arms and catching her lips in a kiss.


	3. Chapter two Family and Favors.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard finds friends, old and new and just as it seems things are going well, Aria is plotting something that could easily cause a lot of trouble.

Chapter two  
Family and Favors.

He had expected there would be some friendly greeting, given what Garrus had told him about the Commander and Wrex being friends, but he had not expected Wrex to catch Shepard in a brief embrace and show her a level of respect beyond anything he thought possible for a battle hardened Krogan to show a human. He also saw how relaxed and calm Shepard was around Wrex despite the Krogan towering over her his size was not in anyway intimidating her.

“You look well Shepard,” Wrex nodded, “Thank you for keeping me in the loop about this.”

“Don’t thank me, I just made sure they let you in, he’s the one who made it official.” She told him and nodded to Victus. “Wrex meet Primarch Adrian Victus, Victus meet the Krogan leader Urdnot Wrex. Play nice.” 

“No Garrus?” Wrex teased only to laugh when Shepard punched his chest plates hard enough to make him step back. “Ha! You’ve been practicing.”

“I can always forget where I last saw your Shotgun.” She reminded, and he chuckled.

“Commander,” a shy voice called out and Wrex turned to let the human woman by his large form. “The Salarian Dalatrass has arrived.” 

“Late. Typical Salarian.” Wrex huffed.

“Tell her to join us in the Conference Room, Traynor.” Shepard assured, “And don’t let her bully you, if she says anything nasty remind her that I can shove her out the airlock on my own ship.”

“Y-yes ma’am.”

Wrex waited for the other human to leave before chuckling, “Cute, she’s new.” 

“You are not getting her drunk so you can traumatize the poor girl with old stories from the first Normandy.” Shepard said and then gave the Krogan leader a half-hearted shove into the war room. “and please can you try not to start another war? I need as much help as I can get before you start beating each other up like school kids.” 

“No promises.” Wrex chuckled ducking into the room, “I swear the old ship had bigger doors.”

“That or you got bigger.” Shepard teased, ducking under the playful swat as she stood at the head of the table.

Victus settled himself at the lower left side of the table, taking the time to bring up the needed files and data on his screen to show his case to the others while Wrex stood to Shepard’s immediate left at the table, using the tips of his claws to carefully activate the terminal and bring up a few other files and read over the information Victus had shared already. 

Shepard herself opened four separate screens and filled the first two with Victus’s information and the second with Wrex’s, reading over them both briefly before the doors opened the Dalatrass was shown in by Traynor, who looked rather uncomfortable around the Salarian who walked in as if she owned the damn ship.

“Dalatrass Linron.” Victus greeted. 

“Primarch.” 

“Log in and share the intel you have.” Shepard stated, “the sooner we get this summit underway, the sooner we can insure less lives are lost.”

“And what are your plans to insure that?” the Dalatrass asked.

“Guns, good strong tactical strikes and generally making sure we hit the Reapers as hard as we can before they can hit us.” Shepard said, “Now log in and share or I will have my ship’s AI do it for you.” 

When Victus did not speak against the Commander and the Krogan gave a toothy smile, the Dalatrass obeyed the Commander and uploaded everything she had brought with her, watching it flash up on Shepard’s third screen while the fourth flared to life with a contact flow of information.

“Primarch.” Shepard nodded to Victus.

“As you can see in our reports, the Turians are losing ships, people and resources with each passing hour, shelters are falling under the sudden influx of injured, homeless and lost people and we are unable to reach many of our other worlds for help. I was able to convince the Council to accept some of our wounded, but they are also struggling under the weight of other races such as Asari, Salarian and Drell.”

“Can any of them be redeployed or moved into shared living spaces on a temporary bases? Just to ease the pressure?” she asked.

“I have people trying to arrange it, but it’s not ease with everyone trying to do the same thing and others are doing nothing to help.” Victus explained. 

“Any plans on how to meet the Reapers in combat?” Wrex asked, though he seemed to be carefully looking over the numbers from the Turian world grimly.

“We’ve tried all of our best plans and nothing is working, the Reapers and their Husks are too many and too widely spread, we also have reports of our injured and wounded being turned on the field.” Victus said sharing and playing a vid file of a brave young Turian bleeding heavily from his right side and a nasty head injury, firing at the Husks while his team mates helped each other into the last shuttle seconds before a red haze lashed out and surrounded him from a nearby husk, twisting and tearing apart his body to its own shape until the Turian was no more and the newly formed Marauder charged at the retreating shuttle.

“Brutal.” Wrex said shaking his head.

“We need someone who can hit hard and keep hitting.” Victus said and looked at Wrex.

“You mean you need the Krogan.” Wrex stated. “You’re going to have to give us something in return for this.” 

“The Krogan is in no position to make demands!” the Dalatrass snapped, cutting Wrex off.

“My Name is Urdnot Wrex and I am not some junkyard Varren you unleash whenever you’re in trouble.” Wrex reminded with a deep snarl. “Reaper scouts have arrived on Tuchanka. If I split my forces between there and Palaven, we’re just tossing lives into the fire without a plan of action.”

“I know that Wrex.” Shepard said, “But I also know that you wouldn’t be here without some kind of plan. Tell me what you need and I will do what I can in my power to give it to you.”

“I want a cure for the Genophage.” Wrex nodded, about to continue only to be cut off by the Dalatrass once again.

“Absolutely not! The Genophage is nonnegotiable!” she stated.

“Give me one good reason why.” Shepard challenged.

“Because my people uplifted the Krogan, we know them best.” She stated as if it were obvious.

“You USED them.” Shepard stressed, “to win a war you couldn’t against a force we have since proven was under the lingering effects of the Reapers.”

“We all took part in the Rachni war.” Victus nodded, “But it was Krogan blood that turned the tides in our favor.”

“And after that they ceased to be useful!” Linron dismissed, “the Genophage was the only way to keep you in check.”

“Insulting members of my crew and friends is not going to change the fact that Wrex is right.” Shepard warned.

“I will not apologize for speaking the truth.” The Dalatrass stated. “We uplifted the Krogan to wage war, its all they know because it’s all we wanted them to know.”

“And yet they were smart enough to revolt against you and the others when you refused to give them what was promised in return for their efforts?” Shepard remarked. “Your people uplifted the Krogan and then failed to realize they had made a mistake in not living up to what they promised in return. The aftermath is completely your own fault.”

“And yet you are about to make that same mistake.” Linron stated challenging Shepard.

“Oh?” Shepard asked, “Wrex, have I ever not given you what was promised in return for your work?”

“Not once.” Wrex nodded.

“And have you, or any of your people since, been mistreated or misjudges by me and mine?”

“Not once.” He said again.

“If you got the cure for the Genophage, what would you do?” she asked.

“Short term. We join the fight and help stop the Reapers with you. Long term. We find the females and start rebuilding our numbers to return Tuchanka to its glory, and work on making it our home once again.”

“Beyond that?” Shepard asked.

“Clearly political games are no fun, so we wouldn’t be asking for any place on the council. But we would ask for some way to remain part of the loop when threats are detected again. Beyond that. We want to be left alone.”

“And if I can give you that,” Shepard said, “You would see to it that no Krogan would unjustly rise against the Council races or others again?”

“Keep the worthless and unwanted away from us, and I’ll promise my blood line into your services forever.” Wrex assured.

“Then Dalatrass, I suggest you start talking about that cure.” Shepard said, “The Krogan have paid for their mistakes, the Genophage has gone on long enough.”

“It would take years to formulate a cure.” Victus stated calmly.

Wrex huffed. “My information says otherwise.” He stated and moved to Shepard’s side, gently pushing a small data plug into the terminal. “You remember Maelon?”

“The Salarian student Mordin had.” Shepard nodded. “He was testing a incomplete cure on some females on your home world though his methods were brutal.” 

“But what you didn’t know, is that other females survived those experiments.” Wrex stated as the plug began to play its contents on the screen at the far end of the table. “So the Dalatrass here sent in a team to clean up the whole mess and take them prisoner.” 

The images showed a shadow, a Salarian or Asari maybe, moving past some glass cells and inside were living, healthy Krogan females. 

The Dalatrass was suddenly stuttering and panicked. “Where did you get this? It- It could be a fabrication!”

“Do not insult me! Those are my people! They are immune to the Genophage and you’re going to give them back!” Wrex snarled.

“Dalatrass is this true?” Victus asked looking over the file himself.

“How will curing the Genophage benefit my people?” she demanded, realizing Victus was not going to help her.

“It doesn’t.” Shepard said, “But if you don’t help, the Reapers will have an easy target in your people.”

“And I will be the least friendly Turian you meet.” Victus reminded.

The Dalatrass bowed her head and reluctantly admitted. “The females are being kept at one of our STG bases on Sur’kesh. But I warn you Commander, the consequences of this will be felt for centuries to come!”

“And they will be nothing compared to the Reapers.” Shepard said, “EDI, tell Joker to set course for Sur’kesh.”

“You are not setting foot on Sur’kesh! This will take time to-AH!” the Dalatrass cried as Shepard grabbed her robes and yanked her down so she was level with her.

“It happens, NOW.” Shepard hissed, “Or I flay you and serve you up for dinner to the Vorcha on Omega!”

“As a council Specter, Shepard can oversee the exchange.” Victus said. “And she is above any reprimand you try and give her for breaking Salarian protocol.” He reminded as Wrex firmly grabbed Shepard’s shoulder and lightly tugged her back, leaving the Dalatrass shaking visibly as she watched Shepard glare at her with some inhumanly look in her eyes.

“We’re going.” Wrex stated and gently pushed Shepard ahead of him.

The Dalatrass regained some of her bravado as Shepard left eth room, though her voice dripped wit fear as she spoke. “I won’t forget this Commander! A bully has few friends when he needs them most!”

Shepard looked ready to turn and fight the Dalatrass, but a firm hand on her back from Wrex kept her walking until they were outside medical bay. “Why are we here?” Victus asked.

“Because the kid needs to have a talk with the only woman who can help her calm down.” Wrex explained calmly while giving Shepard a final shove into the room though he didn’t follow her. “Do you know the story of Runt?”

Victus blinked, the name was familiar but he couldn’t quite remember where he’d heard it before. “I know the name, but I’m unsure how.”

“It was who Marie was before she joined the Alliance.” An elderly man said as he walked towards them, leaning on a cane and carried a small bag under his left arm. “Before Jade Kirana taught her that hugs weren’t deadly.”

“Admiral Moore?” Victus asked, recognizing the old man from the days after Akuze and the few news reports that had given sparse details about Shepard’s supposed death. Wrex gave the older man a respectful nod and stepped aside as he calmly entered the medical bay.

“Primarch Victus, you have received a privet message at your terminal in the war room. It is marked as urgent.” EDI stated over the commlinks.

“When is it not urgent?” Wrex half joked as he walked away.

~~~@~~~

It was a long flight towards Sur’kesh and while Javik had expected the Commander to seek some kind of intimacy with the Turian she was so attached too, she instead walked the ship, talking to the crew and the AI before settling in the comms room to speak with others of her own kind, a sense of relief flooding her as she spoke to one of the younger humans, another female who requested something the Commander had to deny, but promised a compromise for later.

They reached the Salarian home world, and he half listened over the comm link as the shuttle departed, the banter between the Turian, Krogan and Asari was beyond what he had ever encountered in his cycle, they spoke as equals and close comrades as his people had amongst themselves, and as he listened his sensors told him more, the three were close to each other as equals, but each held a place in the Commander’s life that kept the shadow at bay.

There were other strange emotions in this cycle he had not encountered in his cycle, each one strange and unknown to him until his research answered the questions he found himself pondering.

“Javik.” The AI suddenly spoke up and he turned slightly to see her stood at his door. “I am sorry to interrupt, but I am compiling a list of weapon upgrades and armour augmentations for the crew. Is there anything you would like added to your arsenal or any alterations you feel would be useful to you?” 

“I am unfamiliar with the weapons of this cycle. How can you be sure my armour and weapons are compatible with the upgrades you suggest?” he asked.

“Doctor T’Soni has maintained a matriculas record of all Prothean weapons and armour discovered across the known galaxy and after joining the ship she allowed me privet access to her findings, though her work and careful study, I have created alterations to the upgrades to ensure that they are accepted by your weapons and armour without any hazard.” EDI explained.

“The Asari has an obsession with my people.” He stated.

“Doctor T’Soni has many passions, but he enjoyment of learning of your people is what originally placed her in danger when the Reaper Sovereign first arrived. He instructed that she be captured though it was never discovered why, it was also her research and knowledge of where Prothean population had been that we discovered the role the Citadel played in bringing the Reapers out of Dark space so rapidly, thus delaying their arrival.” EDI explained, “This did not slow them long, but it bought time for the Commander to begin efforts to try and stop the Reapers when they finally did come, though those efforts were halted after her first encounter and death at the hands of the Collectors.”

“Death?” Javik repeated.

EDI nodded and brought up the files and recorded data for him on his terminal. “Project Lazarus was Cerberus’ greatest undertaking, and ultimately while it was a success, the Illusive Man refused to accept that he had misjudges the Commander and through out her mission to stop Harbinger, he made multiple errors to try and gain some control over her, ultimately failing as the Commander refused to allow the Illusive Man to gain control of the Collector base for himself and try to use it against all other races.”

“Clarify.” He said, looking over the information he was seeing. 

“The Illusive man funds and controls an Pro-Human terrorists group known as Cerberus, everything they do, according to his view, is done primarily to better advance and bolster the humans race over all others, he and his people believe that Humans should be the top race in the Galaxy and his ultimate plan for Shepard was to make her the figure head of a campaign to control the Galaxy for humanity alone. This campaign failed due to the Commander refusing to follow any of the predicted behavior patterns that Cerberus thought she might take and instead refusing to obey anything the Illusive Man tried to offer her.” EDI explained.

Such injuries, and yet, not one trace of them remind on her now, the trauma hidden deeper that he had though or cared to look during their contact before, how much about this one human woman had been hidden during their brief contacts? She was primitive and yet she had managed to bury the pains of her life so well that he had not found them. 

“You are very informative for an AI.”

“Commander Shepard made it clear a long time ago that I was not to keep secretes from crew members when it came to her past, as some former crew members found it difficult to understand her behavior and attitude during certain events or times of the year, this to help avoid uncomfortable situations around the Commander, I am permitted to inform others of her past so far as to insure that they do not accidently upset her.” EDI explained. “Now to my original question, do you wish for any upgrades to be made to your arsenal?” 

“As long as they assist in killing the Reapers, do as you see fit.” Javik nodded.

“Very well.”

~~~@~~~

The screaming Alarms did little to help her already fraying temper, but seeing another friendly face amongst the Salarians made Shepard smiled as she greeted Mordin with a hand shake.

“Sorry for surprise, did not expect to return to work.” The Salarian stated. “Come, come, must move quickly, alarms not normal on base. Not a good sign.” He added in a rushed voice.

“I’m here about the Female Krogan Mordin.” She explained as Garrus and Liara quickly followed her.

“Yes. Can explain later. Need to get off world for sake of Krogan. Females have weakened immune systems. Side effect of Maelon’s cure.” He explained as they passed a large glass room where three bodies were covered with sheets. “These… these did not survive.”

“Didn’t we save Maelon’s data?” Shepard asked.

“Indeed. Data saved, but not complete. Lacking crucial details to reconstruct cure. But still useful for synthesizing from living tissue.” He explained swiftly as he always did, “Couldn’t save them. But cannot delay now. One Survivor. Immune to genophage. Can synthesize cure from her tissue.”

“She’s still here?” Shepard asked, following Mordin down a small flight of steps towards a different cell. 

“Yes. Last hope for Krogan. If she dies, Genophage cure. Problematic.” He explained as they came to the last living Krogan female in one small cell. “Please, be careful. Krogan slow to trust.”

“Everyone can be slow to trust after the hell they go through.” Shepard reminded before approaching the cell. “I’m Commander Shepard of the Alliance Navy.”

“Are you here to kill me?” the female asked.

“I don’t murder those who are innocent.” Shepard said, “Urdnot Wrex and I are here to take you home.”

“Why? What am I to you?” the female asked, “And do not lie to me. Those were my sisters you saw back there and they died in a lot of pain.”

“Did everything I could.” Mordin said. 

“And now I know I’m the only one left. That makes me dangerous to a lot of people.” The female Krogan growled weakly.

“You’re the future of the Krogan Race. And despite the stupidity of others, I’m fighting for that.” Shepard said feeling the base shake suddenly she looked up and heard the alarms scream louder again.

“Then I hope you brought an army.” The female Krogan said. 

The commlink flashed to life on Shepard’s arm and she answered it. “Shepard! Cerberus is attacking the base! Get the females out of there now!” Wrex yelled over the gun fire.

“Only one of them survived Wrex, we’re bringing her out now.” She assured, “Keep Cerberus off us!” she added and looked at the technician at the Krogan’s cell. “Release her. We’re leaving.” Shepard ordered.

“I can’t. Protocol states that-” The Salarian was suddenly shocked with a powerful surge from behind.

“Objection noted.” Mordin stated. “Now please release Krogan Female.” The technician did as he was told this time and Mordin nodded, “I will go with pod. Monitor it past quarantine procedures. Meet us at check point.”

“Keep her safe Mordin,” Shepard nodded, turning to the Krogan female. “You’ll see Tuchanka again. I promise.” She assured then turned as the Elevator doors were blow open by a powerful explosion. 

“This way!” one of the Salarian soldiers yelled waving them to a ladder.

“Orders Shepard?” Liara asked.

“No mercy.” Shepard stated. “No one from Cerberus gets near that female Krogan and Mordin.”

“Yes Shepard.” Liara nodded and moved with Shepard easily as she went down the halls of the Salarian base, shooting down Cerberus agents easily while Garrus covered her from a distance, giving her the room she needed to work, cutting down Cerberus as they came at her without pause or mercy until they reached the check point. 

“Shepard! Pod under attack! Need Assistance!” Mordin pleaded.

“Keep your head down!” Shepard yelled back and ripped a grenade into the small cluster of assault troopers that were firing on the Pod.

“They shorted the power I need time!” Liara yelled kneeling and working on the damaged terminal while Garrus helped Shepard clear out the Cerberus agents. “Done.”

“Are you two alright?” Shepard asked, checking over the pod for any kind of damage.

“I am well, cannot speak for Krogan though.” Mordin said trying to help run the bypasses to continue their path. 

“I am fine Commander.” The female Krogan assured.

“Females kept hidden, secrete from outside sources. Possibly a mole inside STG. Indoctrination.” Mordin said. “If no alliance between Krogan and Turians. Reapers remain unchallenged on both home worlds.”

“I’ll do more than challenge them Mordin,” Shepard said.

“Meet us at next check point Cerberus likely to target-”

“Get down!” Shepard yelled at him cutting him off as an explosion ripped the wall behind the pod open. 

“Meet us at Check point!” Mordin yelled.

“That’s it!!” Shepard growled, ripping Fang from her side paneling. “No more kid gloves.”

“Shepard! Marie wait for us!” Liara called after the Commander as she took off running.

“Something’s pissed her off.” Garrus yelled, “Not just this place something else.” He added to clarify.

“Like what?” Liara asked.

“I don’t know, but we’ll find out when we get out of here.” Garrus assured.

~~~@~~~

“Maybe you shouldn’t have told her.” Joker suggested as they listened over the comms.

“She would have to have faced it sooner or later.” Moore sighed heavily. “I will speak with her when she returns.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” 

“Marie cannot keep going like this if she is to defeat the Reapers Joker.” The older man sighed. “She must face this and her doubts and fears of the situation head on, or she will fall like so many others in history.”

“But you… You’re like the only real family she ever had outside the crew here… She’s lost everyone else and now this…? It’s no wonder she’s so aggressive right now.” Joker sighed.

“Is there nothing we could do to prevent a negative outcome?” EDI asked. “The Commander is already showing greater levels of instability. I am unable to predict any positive outcome if this proves to be nothing more than a poor attempt at gaining fame or fortune in her name.” 

“I will try and smooth things over,” The old man sighed. “But whatever the outcome, she will have a crew of wonderful friends to help set her back on the right track.” 

~~~@~~~

“How are you holding up?” Shepard panted as she typed rapidly at the terminal to grant Mordin and the Female Krogan passage to their next check point.

“Containment shield is strong, but not designed for direct fire.” Mordin stated.

“This is not your problem, Commander. You do not know me.” The female Krogan stated.

“No, but I’d like to, having someone else around who know how to calm Wrex down would be nice.” Shepard admitted with a smile.

“Next stop is landing platform. Hope Urdnot Wrex still waiting.” Mordin admitted.

“Given how keen he is to make sure his race doesn’t die off. He’ll be there.” Shepard said as the code finally worked and the pod began to move again. “See you at the landing pad. Wrex! We’re coming up to the landing Zone now, get your ass back here and be ready to get us out of here!”

“I’m on my way.” Wrex assured as they climbed a shaking ladder up to the landing area, finding it swarming with Cerberus agents.

“These guys just don’t give up do they?” Liara growled as they opened fire on the assault teams, drawing them away from the pod.

“So we put them down!” Shepard hissed. “They can’t get that Female.”

“They won’t.” Garrus assured.

“INCOMING!” Wrex warned suddenly as the landing pad was shaken by the impact of a Heavy Mech. “Shepard I can’t shoot that thing! the bullets from the shuttle will just bounce right off!”

“Door is jammed. Can’t assist you!” Mordin yelled.

“So stay down and keep that female safe.” Shepard ordered. “This Fucker is mine!”

And with that said, Shepard threw herself at the Mech, scrambling up its back and shooting into the vent behind the polit’s seat, using Fang to cut wires in the joins of the arms to render them useless, hearing shots ping off the glass of the cockpit she moved higher and brought her elbow down on the glass, using the spike of the elbow guard on her armour to strike the glass at an angle, creating a weak point that could then be targeted and shattered.

Garrus took the shot and Shepard jumped off the back of the mech, intending to kill the pilot when suddenly -“Watch out!” Mordin yelled, “Varren!” 

Shepard paused long enough to see the beast attack the Cerberus trooper inside the Mech and smiled. “Liara, Garrus don’t shoot the Varren!” 

“What!?” Both asked her.

“Trust me.” She said and let the Varren attack and bite at the Cerberus Agent’s throats and limbs until at last they stopped moving, it snarled and barked, jumping off the down downed mech and began to stomp around, growing and snarling at Shepard as she slowly stood up and approached it. “Shhh, shhhhh, its ok.” She soothed calmly and the Varren growled barking at her and snapping its jaws heavily.

“Shepard?” Mordin asked watching in fascination as the Varren charged at the Commander but didn’t attack her, breaking off at the last minute and slowly circling her. 

“Easy,” Shepard said and offered a hand to the beast, palm up and slowly went to one knee. “Come on, its ok… its ok…”

The beast seemed confused, looking around and then back at the Commander, before sinking low and slowly dragging its body towards her hand. Sniffing it, nudging it, even biting down on her thumb before it gave a strangely soft growl and pushed its head against her shoulder.

“Good boy.” She praised softly, gently running a hand along its back and small spines. “Good boy.”

“How did you do that?” Liara asked.

“Lots of practice and not always with armour.” She admitted, letting the Varren follow her and stay at her side as she unlocked the final pod clearance, pulling the door open for Mordin to crawl out of while Garrus and Liara made sure the landing pad was cleared of bodies for Wrex to land the shuttle. The almost perfect moment was ruined by the arrival of a pair of Cerberus Agents who were shot down, not by Shepard or her team, but by the Female Krogan, who had borrowed Wrex’s shot gun to blast the two Agents aside easily. 

“I can handle myself Wrex.” She told him and then walked to the shuttle.

“Women.” Wrex said.

“Let’s get out of here.” Shepard said, guiding the Varren into the shuttle and continued to softly pet and sooth the creature as it leant on her legs, unsure of its new surroundings.

Reaching the Normandy, she brought the Varren to her cabin and set up a small area for him to sleep in along with some good food and a warm blanket and pillow to sleep on. “Good boy.” She praised softly as the Varren curled up to sleep on the new bed.

“You always said you wanted a puppy.” Moore said as he came in to the cabin, leaning on his cane. “Are you ready to talk?”

Shepard bowed her head. “Is this really the time to worry about someone claiming to be…” She began to ask then stopped and shook her head. “It’s kind of strange, suddenly when all the worlds in the galaxy need my help, when my name is the one everyone is calling for aid and help, someone claims to be biologically related to me.” 

“She claims to be your mot-”

“Don’t.” Moore was silent as Shepard sat with her back to him, watching the Varren sleep. “She’s had all this time to come forwards and talk to me. Why should I believe that she’s anything more than a desperate woman searching for some last-minute cash or a few brief seconds of fame?”

“I don’t remember you having such a grim outlook on this subject before.” He admitted, slowly approaching her. “You don’t have to answer the call right now, you have a lot of your own work to do, but the door is open to you if you wish to answer it and if you feel you need someone there to help you face this.” He put a hand to her shoulder gently. “I will go with you, and if it does turn out to be some sick joke or untruthful act, you have a wonderful Crew and family to fall back on right here and with the Kirana family.”

“And if it is true?” Shepard asked, looking at him with the faintest gleam in her eyes of some long-buried hope. “If she really is… if she’s…”

“Then we take it one small step at a time.” Moore said with a gentle smile as he offered her a handkerchief, “dry your eyes my dear, tears never suited you.” 

“Yes Sir.” She said and wiped her face with the offered kerchief.

“Good girl, now.” He said and helped her bac to her feet, “It’s time you and I had a little chit chat of our own.” He said and she nodded, “As you know I am not going to live naturally much longer on my own, and I wish to see the end of my days, however many or few they may be, helping to put right to mistakes made when you first mentioned the Reapers.”

“You’ve done enough cleaning up after me, Moors.” She said.

“And yet we still have so much we must do before you can even begin to make a dent in their numbers.” Moors said, “I couldn’t help you face Sovereign or Harbinger. Let me help you face this.”

“If only because I know you’ll do it anyway.” Shepard sighed, “Fine, you can help me. But you are not going on the field. I want you on the main terminal in the war room, you can help me keep resources and credits flowing into the weapon.”

“As you wish.” Moors smiled.

~~~@~~~

The journey back to the Citadel was peppered with a few smaller missions, mostly Cerberus bases that needed to be destroyed or cleared out and with each mission, Shepard seemed to become more and more aggressive towards the Cerberus Agents, refusing to show them any kind of quarter as she did others. When they took a short detour to a place called Grissom Academy and met the Human Jack, Javik realized she and the commander shared the same kind of shadow, but Jack had chosen to accept her shadow and allow it to cling to her where as Shepard refused to let hers remain close and sought to banish it.

They returned to the Citadel and dropped off the students from the Academy and Javik noticed that Shepard stayed on the ship this time, though her crew took a few hours to attend to some business of their own, though the Turian remained behind and kept the shadow away from the commander as they lay in her quarters, he could sense their bonding, and their desire to be joint, but her lack of sleep and his need to tend her were greater and so instead it seemed she was sleeping while her Turian kept watch, letting her take the time for herself that she had needed.

As they left the Citadel again, this time heading to help a team of Krogan scouts, he heard some snips of conversation now and then, only truly listening when the matter concerned the Reapers, learning of a group called a Wolf Pack, making ends meet and bringing the small pockets of survivors back into safety while still fighting hard to protect the outer lying areas where the Reapers were strongest, and he heard more and more about ‘Runt’. How the Wolf Pack was doing this because ‘Runt’ was done playing nice, because ‘Runt’ needed their help now.

“I trust you’re settling in well?” 

Javik blinked his eyes slowly as the Commander stood by his door. “I find my surroundings adequate.” He said evenly. “though I admit I have come upon some information that confuses me.”

“Oh?” She asked.

“You are known by different names by different people.” He stated, “Your crew and the people you fight to save now call you Marie, or Commander Shepard. Others know you as Runt.”

She sighed and shook her head. “Runt. Earth Wolf Pack’s best known member, Its who I was, who I am under all this hero of the Galaxy crap they push on me.” She explained, “Runt is… she’s the part of me people shouldn’t have to see, the side of me that isn’t restricted by the rules and laws.”

“She is a shadow.” Javik said. “There even without the light to cast her.”

“Something like that.” The commander nodded, “She’s been trying to come back to the surface for a long time now, and with all the bull shit the Council and others gave me about the Reapers, I am honestly shocked she didn’t slip out sooner.”

“You speak as if she is a completely different person to yourself.” He stated and she chuckled.

“Liara used that same tone when I told her about Runt, I showed her the basics.” She said and offered Javik her hand, “If you want to see the difference between Runt and Marie and learn how the two are so different, by all means, watch and learn.”

He took her hand.

She was a child, huddling together in cold alley ways and on roof tops with others of all ages, forgotten by the adults as they loitered around the outside of warm shops just trying to stay warm in the snow, stealing food just to live, wrapping up in old rags and rubbish bags to try and stay alive when they dared to sleep at night. Violence in every city, in every street that had been a temporary home or sleeping area, a boy laughing and trying to squeeze the life out of her throat, the flash of silver and the boy fell to the flood, clutching the gushing injury to his neck as she ran, clutching the broken metal that had saved her life, the way she made that shard of metal into her knife and the killings that kept happening, whenever boys got too close to her she’d attack, cutting them deep and sometimes beating them until she had no choice but to run.

She curled up inside herself, letting the shadow take over, there was blood of her hands, blood that would never wash away, and blood that she had enjoyed putting there, blood she had laughed about with her fellow Gang members, not all of them human… Runt was cold, uncaring, selfish and twisted, Runt enjoyed killing without reason or cause, Runt wanted blood to flow without reason just because it looked pretty and felt good to have that control over another person’s life. Runt was the shadow that cared only for herself and she enjoyed the madness and mayhem of fighting. 

Runt was no hero and she maintained a tight grip on her inner self’s neck.

She’d been caught by law enforcement, a snitch in the area having told on her and others sleeping rough in the local park, she’d fought like some feral beast to get away with the others but in a moment of pack mentality, she’d pushed a younger pack member out of the firing line, taking the shot herself to the leg and then led the enforcers on a merry dance around the town while the others escaped before she’d been caught and restrained. She’d thought it was going to be the end, every enforcer knew of her and her reputation, her crimes were countless, her hands bathed in blood almost daily as part of the Pack’s turf wars with the REDS and other Gangs, but instead they put her in a cell and one of the officers made a comment about the Alliance Program. Hours later she was in an interrogation room, listening to a smartly dressed man natter on about something while she slipped her cuffs and then tossed them at him with a snarl to shut up and get out, the next five hours were spent with a few men trying to get her to talk to them, only to be scared off with a snarl, growl or even the threat of snapping their neck if they didn’t leave her alone. Runt was not eager to listen to people who had money to waste of fancy suits, then came one man who didn’t instantly start talking, instead he came in to the room, introduced himself as Privet Anderson and placed a large stuffed crushed pizza, a large cola and two side portion of potato wedges on the table and asked if she was hungry.

Six of the eight slices of pizza were gone in under fifteen minutes, as was one portion of wedges, hunger sated and thirst all but quenched with one of the cola, she sat down in the chair, cracked her shoulders and calmly asked what he wanted, why so many people with suits were around a police station for her and why she wasn’t being sent off to a maximum security prison like Purgatory. Anderson explained his and his CO’s reasons for being there, what they had been told, what they had seen, what they had researched and then explained what was being offered to her and why, he explained it all in street terms and showed her the papers and files he had with him, he showed her the training regulations, the rules and contracts, everything that she would need to sign and read to full accept his offer was given to her.

Join up and serve as a Solider for the Alliance or go to Purgatory.

She thought about it. For the first time in years, Runt’s control on the inner self began to faulter and weaken as the realization of what was being offered sank in, a chance to start again was always nice, to be someone new and try to live a life without fear of being raped, fear of being forced to huddle up for winter in some dilapidated building that could fall at any minute, to not have to fight every day and a chance to hide the blood on her hands…

A chance to be someone other than Runt.

She promised herself that she would try and if it worked out, if she could be someone better than Runt she’d bury Fang somewhere nice and in doing so, also bury Runt in a metaphorical burial of all her sins and all the bad things she had done as Runt, in doing so the barrier and link between the shadow that was Runt and the girl she was when she signed the papers as Marie Jane Shepard became the pocket knife with the name Fang cut into the wooden handle. 

The split was easy to see now, Runt always wanted to violent answer, the fight instinct that all creatures had was the automatic response for her but Marie chose to wait, to try and find the less violent option, she didn’t always seek blood even when she had the right too, then the split was more defined as two more people stepped into the light with Anderson, bringing with them warmth and a gentleness she’d never known and easily pushed the shadow away from her, they came into her life and offered her everything she had never had before, a home, a family, a place to stay that was safe from the harsh world on the streets and slowly, so very slowly they helped her build up herself into someone new, someone that didn’t need the violence like Runt had. 

Moors, the man who brought her into his home and offered her the stability and sanctuary of his home whenever she needed it, asking only her honesty, there was no intimacy or blood between them and yet there was a bond, a deep trust and understanding that formed the basis of everything she did, the lessons she learnt from Moors were everything she had never known before, he taught her how to read and write, how to understand the jargon of the high ups and she learnt acceptance, care, trust and so much more just by allowing Moors close to her. Then came Chakwas, a doctor who asked her for nothing but honesty and within weeks, there was a trusting bond between them a maternal love that helped solidify the forming foundations under her feet and then, like a bright beam of sun light, Jade Kirana came into her life. 

The learning curve was slow, gentle, comfortable and so filled with memories and joys that Runt had become scared, scared that it was all just a messed up dream, but when it stayed that way and the warmth and welcoming love that Jade brought with her was there even when Jade left, the bond formed and it was strong, strong as her bond to Moors, a sister who went one step further and signed the papers to make Marie Jane Shepard the adopted sister of the Kirana family. Jade brought others with her, Jennie, Jennix, Green, Hackett, so many names and so many small but meaningful bonds that made life worth living, that kept Runt away from the fore of her mind, it was a new life, a better life then the streets had given her and when people asked she told them she’d signed up out of need to escape the street life, but the Wolf Pack did not believe this and after a brief fight in a bar, the Pack leaders a huge man and woman found her, they approached her with a small round of drinks and then asked what was happening as they had thought she’d been killed and now they thought she was forced to join the Alliance but after a long conversation, as she refused to leave the Alliance she was marked as ‘Loner’ and by Pack law wouldn’t be bothered by the turf wars anymore.

Then Akuze.

The screaming, the pain, the loss, the fear, it came in a huge crushing wave and tore Jade away so violently, so suddenly that no matter how hard Marie tried to hold onto the bond she’d shared with Jade it slipped away with so many others that had become so close and so dear to her were torn away from her. Marie was on the verge of breaking and Runt came back, all her desires to kill and murder came back with her to the fore but instead of giving in, instead of falling off the platform and letting Runt take over again, Marie stood firm, she held to those now precious memories and words that had been given to her by those she’d come to love and she fought to stay in control of herself, to do what was right by those she’d lost rather than just blindly chasing after revenge and blood. Since then, Marie and Runt had fought for control often, each new fight gave them a new reason to fight over who should be in control now and even though there were times when the fighting eased, Marie did not let Runt have any control, fearing that if she did, Runt would never go back into what little dormancy she had known and Marie would be forced to watch her life, the life she had come to love, ruined by her own hands.

Runt and Marie were still fighting even now, Runt wanted to take over, to just kill the ones who stood in her way and make everything easy by being the worse monster to everyone else, Marie wanted to kill the Reapers, kill the Illusive Man for his foolishness, she wanted to make right the wrongs done to those she saw as her friends, with as little innocent blood as possible on her hands.

Javik released her hand at last and shook his head. “How do you remain steady in the face of her when you face the Reapers?” he asked, watching the shadow of Runt loom over Marie’s shoulders.

“Same way I survive the memories of Akuze, knowing that I lived through the hell that planet showed me where as my friends and crew mates were killed and eaten alive.” Marie said. “I wake up, a look in the mirror and I remind myself that one day, when the fighting is over and the universe is finished with whatever plan it has for me, I will join them.”

“You want to die?” Javik asked.

“No.” Marie sighed, “I just know I’ve cheated death now at least three times, twice by my own means and once because Cerberus paid a lot of credits to keep me alive until my body was mended. I’m living on borrowed time so eventually, death is going to come for me.”

“You would welcome it?”

“If it comes when I’m old, frail and half way into the grave already,” She nodded, “Right now? I have friends who need my help and if I die before the weapon we found on Mars can be made, we’ll lose this fight anyway. So I don’t intend on dying any time soon.”

He understood that mentality. There was no way of knowing how long she had left to live even now when the Reapers were at her door, but she would fight until the last to make sure that her people and friends had as much time as she could give them to make a decent strike against the Reapers and their forces.

“Is there anything else?” She asked.

“No Commander.” He said.

“Then I shall leave you to brood, I have a council to yell at and a friend to visit.” She said and like that, she was gone.

~~~@~~~

“You threatened the Dalatrass.”

“If she can’t play nice, she shouldn’t have been the one to join the summit.” 

Tevos forced herself not to sigh at the childishly reasonable response. Really was it so hard still for Udina to realize that Shepard was past caring what they said or told her not to do?

“Whining like children won’t get the weapon built, nor will it insure that when the Reapers arrive we have a force strong enough to stop them, so instead of acting like you have any true concept of what we are dealing with Udina, get your ass in gear and start fortifying the stronger areas and sheltering the people who need it.”

Before Udina could continue to argue, Shepard turned and left the Council to their business while she spoke to others who looked far less rested and weakened from the fighting, signing a few data pads and pausing to gently ruffle the hair of a young boy who’d brought her a message before handing him a bowl from the food table as she passed it.

The last anyone saw of her she was by the lifts on her way down to get to the lower levels.

Sparatus was the one to spot her next, a single solider in amongst C-Sec officers, helping to hand out pillows and blankets for them and children’s books to try and help distract them from the horrors around them, following her to a small Café where she sat met up with Liara, drinking a tall glass of strawberry water while going over a datapad of some kind with the Asari before a Turian, one that Sparatus did not know, came over and offered Shepard something, she took it and carefully read over its contents before sighing and excusing herself from Liara to go with the Turian, who gave Liara a shallow bow and then led Shepard away.

He followed, staying at a distance until he was able to creep closer, listening to what was being said.

“We’re running out of places to open up and help people. Food’s going out quicker than we can make it and the stores are running low as it is, we need help.” That was a Drell.

“I’m pulling every favor and string I can, but with Udina in the head chair we’re getting no where fast.” A human.

“We’re all doing our part, but we need the high ups to sign off on the papers to let us go on raids.” A Turian. 

“I’m doing what I can, and I know the struggling is hard on everyone, but please, do what you can, if you have to go on raids without the high ups signing off then do it, we need the help no matter where it comes from.” Shepard said sounding tired and utterly defeated by the whole situation. “Please, just do what you can, I’ll try and talk to Pallin and his men but I’m in no better place to help you then I am to kick Udina out an airlock.” 

“Much as we would all love to see that happen.” 

There was a shared chuckle amongst the group before Shepard sighed heavily. “I know that you are all running on fumes, and I am sorry I had to ask for this, but I can’t help everyone on my own and everyone who can help is either too busy with their own fucked up ideas of safety, arguing with each other or too ignorant to bother helping out, I’m not asking you to bleed for me, I have no rights to ask that of any of the packs and I know I have no right to keep asking you to help me.”

“Runt stop talkin’,” the Turian said with a soft growl on his sub vocals, “You never stopped being a Wolf, and you’re in your right to ask for help with all the shit you’ve been through.”

“Thanks Growler.” Shepard said. “Has there been any word from the Omega Pack?”

“Nothing since last night, far as we can tell, Cerberus was there.” The Drell said.

“Soon as we get word, I want to know everything.” Shepard said as her omni tool bleeped. “I need to go.”

“Howl if you need us, Runt.” The other human said, “We’ll come and go wherever you need us.” 

Shepard must have nodded because the small meeting scattered after that and Sparatus stepped back into the shadows as Shepard walked past him and hurried to the elevators, making a bee line for the medical wards.

~~~

Udina made himself scares as soon as he saw her coming, asking for her answer as soon as she could give it. Ashley didn’t have that choice, still laid on the bed with aches and breaks and pains even she couldn’t name in placed she didn’t know could hurt so much.

Ashley watched her come close, seeing the Drell who’d been keeping her under some kind of watch followed and spoke a few words to Shepard and then another younger Drell came over and Shepard seemed to smile and nodded, shaking the younger Drell’s hand as they spoke for a few more minutes before she continued on her path towards her room.

Then she was inside the room, and Ashely prepared for the killing blow. 

“I brought you something to help pass the time.” Shepard said and handed her a large book, one that Ashley realized had been on her wish list for things to read for a long time. 

“How’d you know?” she asked.

“Just because I didn’t hang around with you and Kaiden doesn’t mean I was ignorant.” Shepard said, already turning to leave. “Take the job if you want it. Just don’t abuse the authority like he does.”

“Wait!” Ashley pleaded in some confusion. “That’s it? You’re going to just leave?”

“You made it clear you didn’t want to be around me because I was a Cerberus puppet last time we talked. The book was a gift from Kaiden to you before he died, I’m just keeping a promise I made.” Shepard said, “You want to live your life ignorant of the truth, that’s fine, you do whatever you want, but remember when shit hits the fan and all hell comes down on our heads, you made your own choices, and you have only your self to blame if you don’t like the shit storm you end up in at the end of those choices.”

And with that she was gone.

Shepard made it back to the Normandy and into her room before it became too much, the stress and the need to just stop and rest finally took over and she felt herself slip into the darkness of sleep as her body finally gave out. She didn’t know how long she was like that, she didn’t want to know, she knew she was still alive because the images of the Beacon, the nightmares of Akuze and all else flashed by her mind, everything she’d fought to bury and force to be just a bad dream was back now, at the fore of her mind and refused to be ignored any longer.

Then it stopped, leaving her in darkness and silence for a moment before warmth embraced her and she felt herself being held, protected from the darkness that threatened to swallow her whole and for a time, Shepard just let herself be there, safe in the warmth that protected her from the nightmares and enjoyed the chance to just stop and sleep again.

Garrus was there again, gently talons slowly combing through her hair, the softest tickle of his breath against her skin as she reluctantly pulled herself back to the land of the waking and living from the darkness of sleep.

“How long?” she asked.

“Six hours,” Garrus told her softly. “You got back onto the ship, came up here and then EDI said you collapsed onto the bed, she registered a spike in mental activity and I came up to find you restlessly trying to rip the blanket apart.” He added and she sighed shifting closer to him, “Understandable given the stress and the date.”

Akuze.

Shepard felt the tears rush forth and the urge to stop them just didn’t rise, instead she just clung to Garrus, letting him be the rock that held her firmly in place as it all came from the back of her mind. He was quiet though it all, just holding her and gently combing his talons though her hair, holding her as the world outside moved on without thought or care to what this day represented to the Commander they now demanded so much from, never mind the trauma and stresses she already faced. Nodding to EDI’s camera and smiling as the familiar melody began to filter throughout the ship.

In the War Room, Admiral Moors gently plucked the strings of an old acoustic guitar, knowing that EDI had opened the commlinks to everyone on the ship and to a fair few others who weren’t on the ship, as he began to sing the words of the song.

Javik paused and looked up as music began to flow though the ship, confused for a moment until a wave of emotion from the Commander struck him, a tainted joy that brought her warmth and understanding, a comfort that had been missing until now. Everyone on the ship seemed to understand the song, and while he didn’t not quite understand the phrasing, the meaning became clear as the mood shifted, there was no longer the stress of the future but the memories of the past, of keeping those lost close and remembered just for a brief time, enough to remind everyone what they fought for and why they suffered this stressful nightmare.

~~~

“Aria, all due respect, but you’re walking a deadly line.” Grizz told her.

“I need her.” Aria told him.

“Shepard’s not gonna like what you’re asking her.” Grizz said watching Aria type her message to Shepard to meet her at Dock 42. “I don’t like it.”

“You’re not coming with me Grizz, you are staying here to help the packs.” Aria told him. “Now go. I have things to talk with Shepard about.”

“Just be careful.” Grizz said, “She’s already under stresses as it is.”

Aria nodded. “Go.” She ordered softly.


End file.
